Go Figure
by angellwings
Summary: Ella is not the same Ella she was at Camp Rock. She's not sure she can ever be that Ella again, but when her luck starts to change she begins to realize that maybe she hasn't completely lost her old self. Set several years after the events of "Camp Rock".
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Okay, if you know me at all then you know that Ella is one of my favorite Camp Rock characters. I feel like she's under appreciated. And if you know me you should also know that my favorite Camp Rock pairing will more than likely NEVER happen in canon. So I had to write a story that fleshed out Ella a little bit more AND explored my favorite pairing. I came up with this story (of which I've already written 12 chapters). I love it dearly, but I feel I should warn you that this Ella is more grown up and jaded. She's lost a lot of that optimism she's known for in this story. I hope you guys can allow for that. Also, This story starts out super depressing, but I promise you it WILL get better, LOL. Enjoy!

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Go Figure

By angellwings

_Chapter One

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Ella stared down at the article on Camp Rock her mother had sent her. It was a clipping from People magazine about the "Camp that Grooms Stars". Ella scoffed and scanned the article. There were mentions of Connect Three, Tess Tyler, Mitchie Torres, Margaret Dupree, and even Caitlyn Gellar but no mention of an Ella Pador. Not that it surprised her. Ella had never been a notable Camp Rock camper. She was an extra. A face in the crowd that nodded and went along with every one else's ideas. Ella hadn't spoken with any of the names listed in the article since their last summer at Camp.

She would have thought that she would at least kept in touch with Peggy, but it seemed Peggy was more interested in getting to know the Connect Three posse. Things had gradually changed after Peggy won final jam. Tess was civil to Caitlyn and Mitchie, and very nice to the guys of Connect Three (of course) and in turn Caitlyn and Mitchie decided to be civil as well. After Peggy had recorded her duet with Shane Grey she had started up a friendship with Caitlyn, Mitchie, and the boys. At first she had made sure to include Ella, but most of the time Ella just felt like a spare tire. Useless unless there was an emergency. Which for the record there had been only one of. Nate had let his blood sugar get the best of him, and when the guys went off in search of Brown or a piece of candy and some juice. Ella had stepped forward with a piece of chocolate. Her brother was diabetic and so she had taken up the habit of carrying a piece of candy with her just in case. She unwrapped it and placed it urgently in his hand just as Jason came back with a juice box Mrs. Torres had given him. For that whole day Ella had felt like she was one of them. Jason and Shane had thanked her profusely for stepping up, and Caitlyn, Mitchie, and Peggy had praised her for her quick thinking. Before they all headed to their cabins to go to bed Nate had even given her a small smile and "Thanks".

Now she doubted they even remembered her name. There was really no reason why they should by the time their last summer had rolled around Ella only saw Peggy two times a day. Once when they woke up that morning and again before they went to bed. It had saddened Ella to admit, but she and Peggy had just grown apart. After camp and high school Ella had moved to LA to try her hand at acting, but had ended up as one of Tess Tyler's back up dancers which had brought her back in touch with Barron and Sander who were also dancing back up for Tess. The only person that Ella had stayed in touch with over the years was Lola. Lola, like herself, had been practically forgotten by the group. So the two of them had banded together.

After a few years of being back up to Tess (again), Ella decided she had had enough of being back up and struck out on her own. For once in her life she wanted to be the one in the spotlight.

And that's how she ended up in a rundown studio apartment in a not-so-great area of LA. Did she mention that she was 24 and long past the ideal age for discovery? At this point she had given up on becoming a star and had decided to take whatever jobs she could get. She played at local coffee houses and clubs, she acted in commercials, and she did extra work on any show that needed them. It kept food in her mouth and bills paid, and as long as the work kept coming she wasn't going to need to get a waitressing job like all the other wannabe entertainers in LA.

When she was fifteen she had thought this would all be so easy. She would leave Camp Rock completely prepared for the business and defeat it one-handed. She thought she would be a star in no time like the rest of the Camp Rock alumni.

She had been terribly mistaken.

"_If you had my love and I gave you all my trust would you comfort me…"_

Ella's glance left the article and found her phone. The caller I.D. told her it was Lola. She smiled and answered quickly.

"Hey, girl," Ella said brightly.

"I'm guessing your mom sent you the People article too?"

"She wouldn't be my mother if she didn't," Ella chuckled.

"Does it ever bother you that these people we used to be close to are getting all the fame and attention?" Lola asked with a sigh.

"A little, yeah, but at least we know they actually have talent. I mean it's not like we're more talented than them or anything," Ella said.

"But we're JUST as talented as them and yet here I am 24 and struggling to find work while living in a crappy New York studio apartment."

Ella shrugged, "Well, not everyone at Camp Rock could go on to be rich and famous. There had to be some casualties."

"True, but why did the casualties have to be us?" Lola asked with a light chuckle.

Ella laughed softly, "Only the Universe knows the answer to that question."

"Has your dad offered you another job yet?" Lola asked.

"No, but I'm sure he will soon. It's about that time of year," Ella said with a sigh. "I'm actually thinking about taking him up on his offer this time."

"Ella! No!"

"Why not? It's good pay, I'll be spending time with my dad while he's on tour, and it's a lot more glamorous than my life right now."

"Because you'll be giving up on your own dream."

She sighed, "Lola, I've already given up on that. I gave up on that a long time ago. Might as well make it official."

"Ella, come on, if you quit trying you'll definitely never make it," Lola told her.

Ella ran a hand through her hair and observed her nails as Lola continued to lecture her on giving up. Ella understood where Lola was coming from, but damn it she was tired. Tired of hoping that tomorrow would be THE day that everything would change. She was tired of working her ass off and getting nothing in return.

"Besides, are you sure you want to find out what your dad is _really_ like?"

Ella's eyes widened. Now THAT was a good point. Her father loved her, that was for sure, but he was a bit of a partier. He was one of those old school rock stars who tore up hotel rooms and destroyed an amp at every show.

"Well, maybe I could…change him or something," Ella said as she scrunched her nose up. She knew that statement was lame the minute it left her mouth.

"El," Lola said sternly.

"Lola, I'm running out of options here! I can't sing in coffee houses for the rest of my life."

"But if you give up then…I'll have to give up."

Ella's brow furrowed, "No! You're actually going places, Lola! You just struck that deal with Battery! That's one step away from a record deal! If you give up then I'll have to come to New York and smack you!"

The phone call ended with Lola reluctantly agreeing to let Ella do what she felt was right. And one week later, just as Ella predicted, her father called.

"Good Morning, Princess," He greeted.

Ella chuckled, "Dad, it's 3 PM."

"Is it really? Damn, I need to buy a clock."

Coming from any one else Ella would have thought that was a joke.

"So, what's up dad?"

"Well I have a proposition for you, and before you say no-"

"Yes."

"What?"

"I accept."

"But you haven't even heard the speech I rehearsed yet."

Ella chuckled, "What's the job?"

"Back up singer, and I know you've said you don't want to do back up anymore but our back up singers usually get a solo or two-"

"Dad, It's fine. Singing back up for you is different than singing back up for Tess."

"Okay," He said slowly. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Alright then," He said excitedly. "Tour rehearsals start next week on Stage 5 at the Universal lot."

"Time?"

"Um, some ungodly AM hour," he said in a questioning tone. "I'll get back to you after I call Dale. He'll know."

Ella rolled her eyes, "Sure thing, daddy."

Dale was the responsible band mate and the only member of Headline that her mother had ever been nice to. Headline was her father's band. They had been on the mainstream pop scene since the early eighties. They were still very popular. Van, her father, was the front man. Dale played the keyboards and was the other lead vocalist. He also kept everyone else in check. Bo was the drummer and Randy played bass guitar. She and her brother were the only offspring that anyone in the band had. All four of the band members combined made a great dad, but on his own Van Pador was not so responsible.

"Hey!" her dad said happily. "I can sing your song to you on stage every night!"

Great, "Bella Ella" would follow her around every day now. She had recently made a dating rule about that song. It stated that if an interested party ever serenaded her with "Bella Ella" then she had every right to end it.

"That's awesome, dad," Ella said as she forced a brightness into her tone.

"Well, princess, I'm gonna go. I'll call you later with a time for rehearsals."

"Okay, daddy, I'll talk to you then."

She hung up with her father and quickly marked next week with "Tour rehearsals". She hadn't been on a tour in a long time and she was actually very excited about it. Traveling the country was always fun, but she had a feeling her father and his friends would keep her busy. Unless her father had mellowed with age. She doubted it, but she could still hope.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **I'm not gonna lie, I'm kind of sad that last chapter only got one review. Thanks to that reviewer, btw! I appreciate it! Hopefully you guys who are reading are enjoying this story so far! I've had fun writing it. I'm still not done. I'm working on Chapter Thirteen right now. Enjoy! PS- if the alignment of this chapter is weird it's not my fault. Document manager is being dumb at the moment.

Go Figure

By angellwings

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Chapter Two

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Ella's life seemed to have changed quite a bit once rehearsals started. MTV came by to do a small "Making of" feature, and her father had proudly pointed out his "Bella Ella". After that it was like the press had just found out about an illegitimate child. Which was odd because her existence had never been hidden from anyone. In fact her mother's pregnancy had been a big controversy at the time. Her mother had found out she was pregnant merely a week after her split from her father. The tabloids had devoured that story. So, she had no idea why they were freaking out now.

They were calling her a "Pop legacy". Why hadn't that legacy worked to her advantage before now? She'd been followed to and from rehearsal for the past two weeks now. They were even pictures of her in People's "Star Tracks" section. Lola had called her the first time that happened, and squealed very loudly. People had been calling Headline's manager and trying to set up phone interviews with her. That's right People magazine wanted to interview her as a part of their upcoming "Camp Rock Alumni" section. Just weeks before they had completely ignored her existence. Apparently going on tour with your rockstar dad makes you a B-list celebrity by default.

She walked through the Stage 5 door and was greeted by the new stage. It had been completely set up with the pyro and the lasers. Her eyes widened.

"Wow," She whispered.

"Hey, kid!" Dale greeted brightly as he hugged her. "What do you think?"

"It's huge!"

"Our biggest stage yet," He smiled. "The pyro and the lasers are also the most intense we've ever had so let's hope they live up to what we paid for them. Your dad is behind the stage hitting on the new intern in case you're looking for him."

Ella rolled her eyes, "Figures, I'll go straighten him out."

She marched to the back of the stage and immediately spotted her dad cornering the blonde silicone enhanced "intern".

She sighed, "Hey dad, Dale's looking for you. Something about a band meeting."

He turned sharply in surprise, "Oh, okay princess, tell him I'll be there in a minute."

"Um, no dad, he said it was an emergency band meeting. Something about a change in the set list."

He sighed, "When is there not a change in the set list? He changes it three times a week."

Her father turned and winked at the blonde, "I'll see you later, sweetheart."

He turned and walked away and Ella gave the blonde a blank look.

"What?" the girl snapped as she smacked her gum.

"If you're looking for a jump start in your career then you're sleeping with the wrong front man. He'll forget you exist before you can even say 'record deal'. Yes, he IS that unreliable," Ella told her plainly.

The girl huffed.

"I knew I should have taken that job with Prince," she muttered as she walked away.

Ella rolled her eyes. When would her dad's manager hire a real intern?

She turned and walked the five steps up to the stage. She smiled at the other two back up singers and the rest of the back up band as she took her place behind her microphone.

"Hey, El," Torrey, one of the other singers, asked. "Do you want to go shopping for tour clothes later?"

"When have I ever said no to shopping?" Ella asked with a grin.

"Awesome, I've been meaning to for a while. I figured this is my last chance since we leave for our first show next week," She smiled.

"Kelly, are you coming?" Ella asked the third back up singer.

"Can't, I've got a date tonight," She said excitedly.

"Ooh, with who?" Ella asked eagerly.

"His name is Andy. He's in Tess Tyler's back up band. He's her drummer," She gushed. "It's our third date. He's a sweetie."

Ella gasped and bounced excitedly, "I know him! I went to Camp Rock with him! He's one of the best drummers in the business!"

She smiled, "You don't have to tell me that. I know it."

"Ah, dating…what's that like?" Torrey asked wryly.

Ella chuckled, "Don't ask me. My last date was six months ago."

"Wow, El, go out and find some action, please. That's just criminal," Kelly said in surprise.

"Well, I haven't met any worth while men recently," She sighed.

"Ooh! I know! You and I are going out tonight," Torrey demanded. "We're going to meet men and go wild. What do you say?"

"I say…do I have to?" Ella whined.

"Yes! It's time we found some dates, girl!" Torrey said excitedly.

Ella sighed, "Can't I just stick to my Lean Cuisine and Golden Girls reruns?"

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Torrey said as she draped an arm across Ella's shoulders.

She sighed in defeat, "Fine."

* * *

Ella stared blankly at her closet. How is that she can own more clothes than she'll ever need and have nothing to wear? She sighed and glanced over at the shopping bags on her bed. She was glad Torrey had talked her into going shopping. She pulled the black sequined mini skirt she bought out of the bag and slipped it on. She pulled her pink satin halter top out of her closet and put it on with her cropped leather jacket over it. She zipped up her black stiletto Giuseppe Zanotti ankle boots before putting the finishing touches on her make up. She swiped her pink glittery eye shadow across her lids and applied her matching lip gloss. She grabbed her black sequined clutch and texted Torrey to see how far away she was. A few minutes later Torrey texted her to say she was waiting outside, and Ella quickly ran out to meet her.

"Hey, hey girl! That skirt is hot!" Torrey said with a whistle.

Ella chuckled, "Not as hot as your mini dress. The guys are gonna be stalking you after tonight."

"Good, I better not be this uncomfortable for nothing," She smirked.

When they arrived at the club Torrey gave the valet her keys and they both started to head toward the back of the line when the bouncer called out to them.

"Ms. Pador!"

She turned and gave him a confused look, "Me?"

"Yes, this way, Miss!" The large man said as he motioned to the door. Suddenly Camera's began to flash around her and people began calling out her name.

"Ella, are you excited about going on tour with your dad?"

"Ella, who are you wearing?"

"Ella, what do you think of these rumors about you and Grant Gabriel?"

"Whoa," Torrey whispered in shock as Ella froze.

"Just ignore them and go," a voice whispered in her right ear as she was gently pushed forward by a hand on the small of her back. She shivered involuntarily at the feeling of breath on her neck. Everything after that was a blur, and the next thing she new she was safely inside the club. She blinked and turned to her right. Her eyes widened.

"Nate?"

He gave her a crooked yet concerned smile, "Ella."

She stood there for a moment and stared at him in silence.

"Are you okay?" He asked in concern.

She cleared her throat, "Um, yeah…I'm just not used to this kind of attention."

"The paparazzi?" He asked.

She nodded and told herself that was what she meant. Her current stunned state had nothing to do with her previous close proximity to Nate.

"I think you'd better get used to it. They seem to like you a lot right now," Nate said with a sympathetic smile. He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his curls, "Look, I know it's been a long time since we've hung out or even spoken, but…would you like to hang out with all of us? Peggy, Mitchie and Caitlyn are in the back with Shane and Jason. I'm sure they would love to see you."

Suddenly Ella was brought back to reality. He was inviting her to hang out with the very people who had spent all this time ignoring her? Did she want to do that? A sudden rush of resentment filled her followed by an overwhelming sense of joy. How was that even possible? She bit her lip and tried to decipher which feeling to let take over.

"I-I don't think so, Nate," Ella said sadly. "After all these years of being forgotten…I just think it would be awkward."

"Forgotten?" Nate asked in surprise.

"You said it yourself, it's been a long time. Maybe too long," Ella told him softly. "Thank you for helping me out with the cameras out there. I really do appreciate it."

Nate watched her and her friend walk away in confusion. A million thoughts and feelings were running through his head. He sighed and walked back toward the VIP room where the rest of the group was waiting.

"Did you just turn down the sensitive and intense member of Connect Three?" Torrey asked her in a shocked whisper.

"Yes, yes I did," Ella said with a frown.


	3. Chapter 3

Go Figure

By angellwings

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Chapter Three

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Nate sat down on one of the plush couches in the room. Everyone automatically knew something was wrong. His brow was furrowed and his gaze was narrowed on the carpet. Jason nudged Caitlyn forward, as if to say "You go talk to him." She turned and glared at her fiancé. Silently saying "Why do I have to go talk to him?"

Mitchie rolled her eyes and pushed past both of them. She sat down beside Nate and shoved his shoulder playfully.

"Everything okay?"

"I ran into Ella outside."

Peggy's eyes widened eagerly, "You did?"

He sighed, "Yeah."

"Why do I feel like something went terribly wrong?" Caitlyn asked hesitantly.

"I invited her to come back here and hang out with us."

"Oh yeah?" Jason asked. "Is she coming back here in a few minutes?"

"That's just it…she said no."

Caitlyn looked down at the floor, "Can I be honest here? I'm really not surprised by that."

Peggy sighed, "Neither am I."

"What do you mean?" Shane asked as he and his girlfriend shared a confused glance.

"When was the last time any of us bothered to call Ella?" Peggy asked them. "I know I haven't called her since about a month after our last summer at Camp. And if it's been that long since _**I**_ talked to her I know it's been even longer for you guys."

Mitchie gulped, "What did she say exactly?"

"That after being 'forgotten' it would be awkward and that it had just been too long," He said. He was beginning to realize that Ella was right. She had been forgotten. However unintentional the forgetting was didn't matter. It should never have happened.

"It's not like any of us meant for that to happen," Shane said as he moved to stand beside Mitchie.

"It doesn't matter," Nate said. "It happened and we shouldn't have let it."

"Getting started in this business is just so hard…we were all distracted," Mitchie spoke up.

"Mitch," Caitlyn said with a sigh. "That didn't stop all of _us_ from talking so it shouldn't have stopped us from talking to Ella or Lola either for that matter. Has anyone talked to her lately?"

They all shook their heads.

Peggy sat down next to Nate and patted his shoulder. She felt bad enough with out having seen Ella's expression. She couldn't imagine what it must feel like to replay the look on her face over and over again.

"But we can fix it right?" Jason asked hopefully. "It can't be too late to fix it."

Caitlyn smiled softly at him, "Whether it is or not we still have to try."

"Suddenly Camp Rock seems like it was a lifetime ago," Peggy said as she fiddled with the bangles on her wrist.

Nate's gaze hardened and he looked up at the group with determination, "So what do we do first?"

Caitlyn smirked at him. Nate had always been fiercely loyal and she knew he probably hated the realization that his friends had fallen victim to his or anyone else's career.

"Well, with Ella we'll have to be subtle," Caitlyn smirked. "I say we start with calling Lola. Just one of us though, not all of us. She'd think we were playing her if all of us called."

Mitchie smiled softly, "I'll call her. I've got a tour stop in New York next week anyway. I could say I want to have lunch while I'm in town. That is, if she's still in New York."

Caitlyn nodded, "That's a good first step. We'll see how things go and then take it from there."

Nate nodded. He really hoped this worked. Ella's expression had been far from what he expected. He had expected a little disappointment and hurt, but not the conflicted emotions his saw on her face. She looked like she wanted to scream, laugh, and cry all at once. Ella had always intrigued him (even if he kept it to himself) because she was so beautifully easy. If she felt it you knew it. There was nothing hidden and most everything was easily forgiven. But the Ella he saw out there tried to keep her true feelings to herself. She had pushed everything down and it had resulted in a resentment she probably didn't even realize was there. She was no longer the Ella that wore her heart on her sleeve, and that's what bothered him the most. In that moment where she attempted to hide what she felt his heart broke a little for her. The worst part was that it was partly his fault. He felt a desperate urge to fix it. To try and mend what ever had been broken.

And he _would_ fix it. Even if he had to camp out on her doorstep.

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Ella hadn't stayed at the club long. After running into Nate she hadn't really been in the mood to party. There was too much to think about. Had she made a mistake by refusing Nate's offer? And there was the issue of the small thrill she felt when she thought about his hand on the small of her back or relived the feeling of his breath on her neck. She groaned as she entered her apartment. No way did she have feelings for Nate Black. It had been seven years since she had seen the guy! How could even the smallest amount of feelings pop up with in that tiny interaction they had? She just didn't understand. She dropped her clutch onto her kitchen table and turned around to lock her door.

She just needed to forget this night had ever happened. She knew they would so why shouldn't she? She would go on pretending like she hadn't run into her past. She had her father and his tour to worry about. Not to mention she was a little freaked out by her new found fame. She hadn't expected to be rushed by those photographers, and it wasn't fun. As much as seeing Nate had complicated her emotional state she was still thankful he had been there to help her out. She had no idea what she would have done with out him.

She turned off her lights and collapsed onto her bed. She didn't even bother to change into pajamas.

* * *

Ella slowly trudged into rehearsals the next morning. Her depressing mood from the evening before was still with her. She yawned just before she took a sip of her Starbucks and entered the stage. She walked up the back steps and took her place in front of her microphone. She glanced to the back of the room and saw Kelly talking intimately with a familiar looking face. She smiled softly. Andy and Kelly were really cute together. Andy looked up and noticed Ella. He smiled brightly and waved excitedly. She chuckled and waved in return.

"Hey, girl," Torrey said softly as she approached from behind her. Ella jumped a little and then turned toward her friend.

"Hey, sorry I wasn't much fun last night-"

"Don't even worry about it. I know what it's like to run into an ex. It just ruins the whole evening."

Ella nearly choked on her macchiato, "What?"

"Nate, he's your ex right?"

"No! Why would you think that?"

"He's not? But I just assumed, I mean, the way the two of you acted-"

"We were acting like that because we used to be friends, Tor. Nothing else," Ella told her. "I was never even really particularly close to him. At least compared to everyone else we weren't."

"Oh," Torrey said awkwardly.

"Hey guys!" Kelly yelled as she raced toward them. Ella grinned softly when she noticed her pulling Andy behind her. Andy immediately scooped Ella up in a hug.

She laughed and hugged him back. He set her down and she playfully punched his arm.

Kelly laughed, "Torrey this is Andy."

Torrey waved and Andy nodded in return.

"So how was Tess's tour?" Ella asked.

He grimaced, "You know Tess, it was just like camp except this time I got paid."

Ella laughed, "Well, that's a step up at least."

"I meant to call you last week after I saw that MTV special," Andy said. "I was really surprised to see that you had taken your dad up on one of his offers."

"I was surprised to do it," Ella shrugged.

He nodded, "Lola said she tried to talk you out of it."

"She wasn't the only one. I can tell you how many lectures I've had from my mom and my brother about this," She sighed.

"Oh, Barron and Sander are gonna call you sometime soon. They want the four of us to get together for lunch some time. It's been about two months since we've all seen each other after all," Andy told her.

"I'll be looking forward to it," She smiled. "I've got something I want to talk to all of you about."

The band walked in and Kelly sent Andy to one of the extra chairs beside the stage.

"There's my girl," Van Pador said as he hugged Ella and kissed her temple.

She chuckled, "Good morning, dad."

"Alright, guys, let's take the set from the top and run the whole show. No stopping," Dale announced as he stationed himself behind his keyboards. Ella was happy the music finally started. It would keep her from thinking about the night before.


	4. Chapter 4

**Go Figure**

By angellwings

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Chapter Four

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"_If you like it then you should have put a ring on it, if you like it then you should have put a ring on it…"_

Lola glanced down at her phone and gasped at the name on the ID. Mitchie? Why was Mitchie calling her? She bit her bottom lip and answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Lola! Long time, no talk!" Mitchie said brightly.

"Hey, Mitch," Lola said slowly. "What's up?"

"Oh, nothing much. I was just thinking that I was gonna be in New York next week. It might be nice to get together for lunch. You are still in New York, right?"

"Well, yeah but-"

"Great, then how about lunch on Friday at around 12:30?"

"Um, sure, I'd love to," Lola said hesitantly.

"Perfect! I'll see you then, girl! I can't wait to catch up!" Mitchie said excitedly. "Anyway, I've got to go. I've got a few phone interviews in a bit. Later!"

"Bye," Lola said in a stunned tone. The dial tone sounded and Lola stared at her phone in confusion. "What in the world…"

* * *

"_If you had my love and I gave you all my trust would you comfort me…"_

"Hello?" Ella asked into her phone.

"Hey, El." A bright voice said.

"Hey, Sander! What's up?"

"I was thinking we could have lunch tomorrow. You and me and Sander and Andy. If that's cool," He said.

"Yeah, that sounds great," She said with a smile.

"Awesome. Hey, has Lola called you yet?" He asked.

"No, not yet. Why?"

"She and Mitchie are having lunch next Friday," Sander told her.

"No way! How did that happen?"

"Mitchie called her and set it up. Weird right?" Sander asked.

"Yeah, weird."

"I mean Barron and I work for Tess and we still only see the old gang once in a blue moon. Except for you and Andy, of course. Speaking of Tess, her highness calls. I'll call you later, Ella."

"Okay, talk to you later," Ella said as she hung up. What were those guys up to? First they try to reconnect with her and now Lola? Something strange was going on.

* * *

The next morning Ella, Kelly, Torrey and the back up band waited patiently for rehearsals to start. The band was having an emergency meeting. Their first concert was supposed to be next Friday so Ella hoped it wasn't too big of an emergency, but even she knew the meeting was taking far too long. Ella nibbled her bottom lip nervously and walked toward the hallway that lead to the office where the band was having their meeting. She peeked around the corner and spotted a familiar looking guard. Where had she seen him before?

The door opened and Ella darted back to the stage. Her foot caught on the last step and she crash landed. Kelly and Torrey winced and rushed to help her up.

"Are you okay, El?" Kelly asked.

As Ella stood her eyes widened. Coming into the room with Headline was none other than Connect Three and their manager plus some other non-descript executive.

"No, I am not okay."

Both bands stepped out onto the stage and her father spoke up first. Ella avoided Nate, Shane and Jason's gazes as her father spoke up.

"I'm sure you all know that Headline and Connect Three share the same label and that label along with MTV have decided to combine our upcoming tour with Connect Three's upcoming tour," Van Pador announced eagerly.

Ella's mouth fell open in shock. This was not happening.

Shane smiled, "The new tour is going to be called 'The Legacy Tour'. We're thrilled about this. Headline is one of the bands that influenced our sound and we're honored to be working with them. Nothing about this tour is really going to change. We're going to use this stage, and it will basically be two separate concerts. We will perform first, there will be an intermission, and then Headline will be the grand finale of the evening. So, don't worry there won't be any additions to your rehearsals and we should be able to maintain the same schedule. We can't wait to work with all of you."

Ella took a deep breath to keep from panicking. Why was this happening to her? She heard Torrey suck in air in a wince and then felt her squeeze her shoulder sympathetically. This was ridiculous! Were they stalking her now? She suppressed the inner fourteen year old who was squealing uncontrollably at the thought of being stalked by her former favorite band and desperately reached for her bottle of water. Connect Three began to walk off stage and Ella urgently pulled Nate to the side.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a frenzied tone.

He smirked at her, "Us? We're just paying tribute to one of our musical heroes."

She glared at him, "Oh please, that is SO not what this is. If you guys are like stalking me or something you can stop now."

"Ella, really, can't we just happen to be touring with your dad's band?"

"No, what are you up to, Nate?"

His expression became serious, "Honestly?"

"Yes, please," She said as she put her hands on her hips.

"We're fixing _this_," Nate said as he motioned between himself and Ella.

Her jaw dropped, "Seriously, now? You want to fix this _now_?"

"If not now then when?"

Ella sighed, "Nate, I appreciate it but-"

"It is fixable, Ella, you'll see," he said as he maintained eye contact with her. "You just have to give us a chance."

Ella gulped and released a slow breath. For some reason she believed him. Not only did she believe him but she couldn't seem to breathe. When did Nate's eyes become so captivating?

"Can you give us that chance to make this up to you?" He asked desperately.

For reasons that escaped her at the moment she nodded mutely.

He gave her an easy smile, "Thank you, you won't regret this Ella. I promise!"

She gulped and nodded again as he rushed after his brothers.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter Five_

* * *

By the time lunch rolled around Ella was angry. She had gotten over her initial awe, and was now confused, frustrated, and angry. She also still felt a little residual hurt from all those years ago. She stormed into the restaurant where she had agreed to meet Barron, Sander, and Andy. They waved her over and she slammed her purse down on the table.

"You guys are NEVER going to believe what just happened to me," Ella huffed as she sat down.

"What?" Andy asked fearfully.

"Connect Three's tour just merged with my father's."

"What?" Barron asked in shock.

Ella nodded sharply, "Mmhmm, that's right. THAT'S how I reacted."

"Why?" Sander asked.

"Nate said they're trying to make the last seven years up to me."

"Now? Why now?" Barron asked in confusion.

Ella sighed, "I think they all just realized how much has changed. I ran into Nate at a club the other night. He invited me to hang out with him, Jason, Shane, Peggy, Caitlyn, and Mitchie."

"And let me guess," Sander sighed. "You said no?"

She nodded, "Of course I said no."

"And THAT explains why Mitchie called Lola out of the blue," Barron said with a chuckle.

"Or why Peggy randomly dropped by Tess's rehearsal today," Andy said as he gave Barron and Sander knowing looks.

"Peggy stopped by your rehearsal?" Ella asked.

"Yes, and she talked to us during all of our breaks," Sander smirked.

"They're trying to repair the group," Andy said with a shake of his head. "So, what do we do?"

Ella bit her bottom lip, "I told Nate I'd give them a chance."

Andy quirked an eyebrow at her, "Why?"

"Honestly? I have no idea. I just couldn't bring myself to say no. He looked so eager…I just couldn't," Ella pouted.

"Well," Barron grinned. "If you're giving them a chance then I guess we all have to."

"Could it be that our Ella has a soft spot for the youngest member of Connect Three?" Andy teased.

"I do not! He's just very persuasive!"

"Sure he is," Sander smirked.

* * *

Ella arrived at rehearsals the next day and found a small bouquet tied to her microphone stand. Torrey and Kelly were whispering excitedly and rushed her as she approached. She carefully reached forward and untied them.

"Who are they from?" Torrey asked.

"They're from…Nate, Shane, and Jason."

"The _whole_ of Connect Three sent you flowers?" Kelly asked in shock. "Wow."

Ella sighed, "Yeah, I got apology flowers."

"So?" Torrey scoffed. "How many girls can say they've gotten flowers from all three members of Connect Three?"

"Hey ladies," A voice said from behind them. They all turned to find the back up guitarist and resident alcoholic partier, Tyler, checking them out.

"No, Ty, we will not go clubbin' with you," Kelly said automatically.

Out of the corner of her eye Ella noticed Shane, Nate, and Jason peeking around the corner. They were looking for her. Panic filled her. She knew what they were going to do. They were going to invite her out somewhere. She had to think of a way out of it. She grinned and looked up at Tyler.

"Oh, come on! I'm fun!" Tyler said teasingly.

"You know what, Ty? I'll go," Ella smirked.

"You will?" The other three asked in shock.

"Why not?" She shrugged. "My night out the other night was ruined so I think I should make up for it."

"Great!" Tyler said excitedly. "I'll be by your place to pick you up at 8!"

"Sounds good," Ella said as she slowly realized what she agreed to.

Kelly and Torrey surrounded her when Tyler was out of ear shot.

"What are you doing?" Torrey sneered. "Tyler is NOT your kind of date."

Kelly gagged, "Tyler's not any one's kind of date. Unless, of course, you're Tara Reid or Paris Hilton."

"I'm providing myself an out." Ella told them as Jason, Nate, and Shane approached her.

Kelly and Torrey gave her a confused look.

"Ella?" Jason asked hesitantly.

Ella gave them a small smile, "Oh…hi."

"Hey," Jason said. "We're all gonna be hanging out tonight. Do you want to come?"

"Oh, I can't," Ella told them.

"You said you would give us a chance, El," Nate reminded her. El? Since when was he allowed to call her El?

"It's Ella," She told him. "And I can't go because I'm going out with Tyler."

"Tyler? The alcoholic back up guitarist?" Nate asked with a scowl. "Seriously?"

"He happens to be fun," Ella said as she stuck her chin out a little further.

"Yeah, I'm sure. It's usually fun to have a date throw up on your shoes," Nate commented dryly.

Shane glared at Nate, "Not helping, dude. Listen, why don't you bring Tyler along?"

"Oh, I don't think-"

"We insist. We're gonna be at that same club from the other night," Shane said with a smile.

"Bye, Ella! See you tonight!" Jason yelled as they walked away.

Kelly smirked and held back a laugh, "Looks like your 'out' was turned into an 'in'."

Ella sighed and glared at her friend, "Oh, shut up."

Torrey and Kelly grinned at each other knowingly. These guys weren't going to be easily beaten.

* * *

"You told her to bring HIM with her?" Nate asked in annoyance once they were out in the hallway.

"Bottom line is that we get her there, and if HE has to come along for that to happen then so be it," Shane sighed.

"So be it? Do you live in a Disney movie? Who talks like that? And I do not want that guy ruining our get together," Nick ranted.

"Or do you just not want him near Ella?" Jason asked with an amused grin.

"What?"

"You gotta admit, man, you've let her get under your skin," Shane agreed.

"I do not have a thing for Ella," Nate said.

Jason chuckled, "We didn't say you had a thing for her."

"I was thinking you were just protective of her, but _now_ I think you have a thing for her," Shane smirked.

Jason nodded his agreement, "Me too."

"Besides, at least this way you can keep an eye on her," Shane told him as he started to dial Mitchie's number.

Nate sighed. He did not have feelings for Ella. He just wanted to make up for everything so badly that he was being protective of her. At least that's what he was going to tell himself.

* * *

Ella arrived at the club with Tyler in tow and instantly wanted to ditch him, but Ella wasn't Tess Tyler and was not that heartless.

"I'm gonna go get a drink. Do you want something?" Tyler asked.

And so it begins, thought Ella. She might need a drink to get through this, "A light beer might be good."

"Comin' right up," Tyler said as he sprinted off.

"Ella?"

Ella turned around to find Barron and Sander.

"Guys? What are you doing here?"

"Peggy invited us."

"Did she invite Andy too?" Ella asked.

"Yes, but he and Kelly had a date," Sander told her.

Ella sighed, "Lucky. I hope his date is going better than mine."

"You brought a date?"

"Unfortunately," She muttered. "I was trying to give the guys an excuse to NOT come, but they told me to bring him along! Why would they do that? Why?"

Barron and Sander exchanged an amused look before Sander spoke up, "Because they wanted to hang out with you?"

Tyler came back and handed Ella her beer, "Here you go, pretty lady."

She forced a smile, "Thanks. Tyler these are my friends Barron and Sander."

Tyler shook hands with both guys, "Nice to meet you."

They nodded. And Barron motioned to the back, "I think everyone else is back this way."

They reached the door and gave security their names. They opened the door and let the four of them in. The group, sans Mitchie and Lola, all looked up as they entered.

"Hey, guys! Glad you could make it!" Shane exclaimed.

"Hey, Shane," Barron said awkwardly as he shook Shane's hand.

"Yeah, long time, no see man," Sander said as he too shook hands with Shane.

"Ella," Shane said as he shook her hand also.

"Tyler," Shane said with a cold nod.

"Already drinking, El?" Nate asked dryly as he approached and motioned to the beer in her hand.

She glared at him, "It's Ella. And it's one beer."

Out of the corner of her eye she saw Tyler down his beer and then turn back to her, "I'm gonna go get another drink. Do you want one?"

Her mouth dropped open and she shook her head, "No, thanks…I'm good."

Nate flashed her a smug smile, "He's a keeper."

She sighed and glared at him, "You're annoying most of the time, you know that?"

He shrugged, "I've gotta keep things interesting for you, **El**."

"Ella," She ground out. "Stop calling me 'El'. I haven't said you're allowed to yet."

"But I like it," Nate said with a smirk.

"Fine, for every time you call me 'El' with out my permission I get to call you 'Natey'," Ella grinned.

The smirk immediately faded, "You wouldn't?"

"Try me," She challenged.

"O-kay," Shane said as he stepped in between them. "Why don't you guys go say hello to everyone else while I have a talk with…'Natey'."

As they walked away Sander pulled her aside, "What was that?"

"Yeah, that was a little harsh don't you think?" Barron asked with a small amused grin. He had never seen Ella that annoyed by some one.

"He…just…He's pushing my buttons on purpose!" She whispered harshly.

Ella saw Peggy approaching and took a long swig of her beer. She glanced down at the bottle. How was it almost gone already? She didn't remember taking that many sips.

"Ella!" Peggy said happily as they shared an awkward hug. "I've missed you."

Maybe it was the years of being ignored or maybe it was the buzz but Ella just couldn't stop herself from saying her next thought, "Wouldn't know it from my end."

Barron and Sander stared at her in shock and Peggy's eyes widened. Ella felt a pang of guilt at the hurt that flashed across Peggy's face, but then she remembered all the hurt she'd felt over the years and the pang dulled a little.

"I guess I deserved that," Peggy mumbled. "I should have kept in touch."

Ella said nothing and just stared at Peggy blankly. Tyler came back into the room holding two beers.

"I know you said you didn't want one but-"

Ella put her now empty bottle down and grabbed the extra full one out of his hand, "Thanks."

"You're welcome," Tyler said with an idiotic grin.

"Um, Ella," Barron said gently. "Are you sure you should be drinking-"

"I'm fine," She answered automatically.

Barron and Sander exchanged worried looks.

"Are you sure?" Sander asked.

Ella glared at Peggy before answering, "Positive."

Ella had felt the most betrayed by her former best friend. It wasn't easy to have the person you considered your closest friend in the world suddenly drop you. It had hurt and Ella didn't know if she was ready to let that go just yet.

"Hey, Ty," Ella said as she looked up at her date.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Can we get out of here? Go dance or something?" She asked him eagerly. She just wanted to get away from the past that was rapidly catching up to her. Tyler would get her the furthest away in the shortest amount of time. It's what he was truly good at. Avoiding his problems. Well that's what Ella needed tonight, and Tyler was going to help her.

"Sure, babe," He smiled as he grabbed her hand and led her toward the door.

"Ella," Nate called as they passed him.

"What?" She snapped.

"Don't do this," He warned her with a sigh.

She rolled her eyes and continued out the door. The door closed behind them and the entire room fell into an awkward silence. No one knew how to make things better.

* * *

Half an hour later Nate slipped out of the room. As soon as Ella left they had a group meeting. Barron and Sander joined in. It seemed they were more than willing to give the group another chance at being their friends. He only wished Ella wasn't giving them such a problem. Although from what he had heard from Mitchie Lola wasn't being any easier to convince. They were still talking about what to do, but Nate couldn't take it. He wanted to find Ella and at least keep an eye on her. Tyler's influence couldn't be good for her current mood.

He heard cheering from one section of the bar.

"Yeah! That's my date!" He heard Tyler yell proudly. Nate groaned and rushed over. There's no way this was going to be good. His suspicions were confirmed when he turned the corner and saw Ella dancing on top of the bar. He closed his eyes and winced. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed some one pulling out a camera phone. He then remembered the press's current obsession with Ella.

"Damn," He mumbled to himself as he raced forward. He shoved past people to stand beside of Tyler at the front of the growing crowd.

"Ella!" Nate yelled up to her. He tried to avoid looking below her waist as her short skirt gave the crowd a full view of her underwear. She glanced down at him lazily and giggled.

"Hey Nate!"

He rolled his eyes and spoke up in a sarcastic tone, "Awesome, you're wasted."

She continued to dance and he sighed heavily, "Ella, you've got to get down!"

"No way! I'm having fun!" She slurred.

"If you don't come down you better believe that I will come up there and get you myself," He warned her.

She giggled again, "I'd like to see you try!"

His jaw tightened and he glared at Tyler. This was all that guys fault. How many drinks did he let her have?

"Ella," Nate sneered in a warning tone.

She gave him a challenging smirk and continued to twirl on top of the bar while the crowd cheered her on.

Nate glared at Tyler, "This better be the last time you take her anywhere."

Tyler merely stared at him blankly and Nate knew the guy wouldn't remember a single thing come tomorrow morning. Nate shook his head and climbed up onto a bar stool. He was going to get Ella out of here. Whether she liked it or not.

The crowd cheered even louder when he made it up onto the bar. They seemed to be under the mistaken impression that he was joining her, but he quickly shot that down when he tossed Ella over his shoulder like a sack of sugar. The people crowded around the bar booed as he stepped down and Ella kicked and fought him the whole way. He nearly fell twice.

"What are you doing?" Ella shrieked.

"Saving you from making any more mistakes."

By this point one of Connect Three's gaurds had noticed the commotion and came running to Nate's side. The guard pulled out his walkie and called for the car to be pulled around front of the club.

"Head straight for the car and don't stop," The large man had told him as he opened the club's front door for Nate.

Nate did as he was told only stopping at the limo door long enough to place Ella inside with out bumping her head against anything. He swiftly climbed in and shut the door behind him.

"What the hell was that, Black?" She spat.

"_That_ was me saving your ass, Pador," He huffed. "What were you thinking? There were cameras in there!"

"I wasn't thinking! It's what I do. I'm the dumb one remember?" She practically screamed. Her words were still heavily slurred. Something flashed across her face, and Nate knew exactly what it was. Vulnerability. Was he, by some miracle, actually getting to her?

"The dumb one? What does that mean?" He asked in confusion.

"I'm the ditz! The group member that can be easily ditched because, hell, it's not like I ever contributed much anyway, right?" She asked bitterly. "For crying out loud I couldn't even decide between two nail colors that were exactly the same!"

There it was. The heart of her resentment. Except he didn't really understand the nail polish line, but he would roll with her on this.

"You think we ditched you because we thought you were…dumb?" He asked incredulously. It had never occurred to him that she might think that. He had never once associated the word dumb with Ella. Innocent? Yes. Naïve? Yes. Flaky? Maybe. But Dumb? The word had never crossed his mind.

She looked away from him and rubbed a hand over her face. He studied her for a moment. Her make up was smudged, her hair was a mess, and her clothing was bunched in all the wrong places. She looked terrible, but in that moment he could see everything she was feeling. He felt, for a fleeting moment, like the old Ella was back. Her feelings were out there for the world to see, but as quickly as she put them out there…she took them back. He watched her shrink into the opposite corner of the limo as far away from him as she could get.

"Ella," he said softly as he kept his gaze focused on her. "You're not dumb and we never thought you were. We let ourselves be distracted by our careers. _We _were the dumb ones not you."

She showed no outward reaction and, to be honest, he wasn't even sure she had heard him. But he tried. Nick lowered the partition that separated him from the driver.

"We'll take you where ever you need to go," Nick told Ella with a small encouraging smile.

She nodded and gave the driver an address he didn't recognize. Once she was done the partition was raised and neither said another word for the rest of the ride.

The car stopped outside of a small house. Ella mumbled a thank you to Nate and quickly exited the car. She didn't even give him time to attempt to walk her to the door. He saw her call some one on her cell and then knock on the door. He was going to wait until she was safely inside. He saw the door crack open and recognized one of the other back up singers. She had given the driver a friend's address. The singer hugged her tight and then anxiously pulled her inside. Once the door was closed behind them Nate told the driver that he could take him home.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **The song in this chapter is _"Got Dynamite?" by Demi Lovato_. I do not own it at all. It's all Demi's (and it's awesome!)

Go Figure

By angellwings

_

* * *

_

Chapter Six

* * *

The next morning Ella sat at Torrey and Kelly's kitchen table hunched over a cup of coffee and two aspirin. She felt like an idiot. An idiot with a throbbing head ache.

"I still can't believe that YOU danced on top of a bar," Torrey chuckled as she flipped through a tabloid paper that Kelly had gotten on her early morning coffee run. "Sweet little Ella just had to go wild sometime."

"I don't find it very amusing," Ella said with a groan.

"Neither do I," Kelly said as her lips formed a stern straight line. "We shouldn't have let you go out with Tyler."

Ella rolled her eyes, "Kelly this is not your fault. It was my stupid decision and it was also my stupid decision to keep letting the guy buy me drinks. If it wasn't for Nate, God, I might have woken up-"

"Don't say it," Kelly interrupted. "Don't give yourself or us that mental image, please."

"So now you're thankful that Nate pulled your drunk butt out of there?" Torrey asked. "I thought you said he 'mortified you beyond all comprehension' well actually you said 'comprension' and 'mfied' but I assumed that was what you meant."

"I was drunk and looking for a reason to be pissed, Tor. The truth is Nate did me a huge favor. I mean he put himself in the tabloids for me! For HIM that's a HUGE deal," Ella sighed.

"What are you saying? Are you going to give up and be his friend?" Kelly asked.

"I wish it was that simple. I want to try, but I've built up all these walls and barriers. I can't just magically _let_ them down. That only happens in the movies," Ella said in confusion.

"So what is it that you want then?" Kelly asked.

"I want all of them to keep trying. I want them to show me I can forgive them," Ella said thoughtfully.

Torrey gave her friend a confused glance, "That makes no sense."

"Yes, it does," Ella argued.

Kelly smiled softly, "Sorry, babe, Tor's right…I'm not so clear on what you mean either."

Ella huffed, "Where's your guitar?"

"Why?" Kelly asked.

"So I can find a better way to explain what I mean."

* * *

Nate hadn't said much when he had arrived at the soundstage the next morning. Shane and Jason had asked him about the night before and he hadn't answered. Their Public Relations Rep. had been calling all morning. She was trying to get a statement out of Nate that she could tell the press, but he didn't know what he could tell her with out betraying Ella.

"Man, what happened? You were in the room with us and the next thing we know security comes in and tells us you've gone home WITH our ride for the evening," Shane asked as he followed Nate to his dressing room.

"Yeah, thanks for sending it back for us by the way," Jason added sarcastically. "Then this morning I get a call from Tina asking about our 'wild night on the town' which apparently involved you tossing Ella over your shoulder."

Nate ignored his band mates and stopped at his door. He stared quizzically at the papers that were taped to it.

"What's that?"

He pulled the papers off the door and studied them. He saw guitar tabs scribbled out on the paper and lyrics beneath them, "It's a song."

"From who?" Jason asked.

Nick scanned the page and found a tiny "EP" scrawled in the corner. His eyebrows rose up, "Ella."

"Ella wrote you a song?" Shane asked in confusion.

"I guess so," Nate answered as he scanned the lyrics.

"Okay, now you _have_ to tell us what happened last night," Jason said as he tried to get a peek at the song.

But as he read the lyrics he knew this was one song he wouldn't be showing his brothers. It was meant for his eyes only.

_I can't paint this picture,_

_Just so you can hang it._

_I can't wait for you to understand,_

_If you just don't get it._

_Find out how crack me,_

_Log in, try to hack me._

_Underneath the surface_

_There's so much you need to know._

_And you might feel like you're drowning,_

_But that's what I need to let go._

_Tell me what you got to break down the walls._

_You just might need dynamite._

_Tell me what you got to break down the walls._

_Kick senseless my defenses. _

_Tell me what you're gonna do,_

_I need you to light the fuse._

_Tell me what you got to break down the walls._

_You just might need dynamite._

_When the walls come crashing down,_

_I hope you're standing right in front of me._

_Where my past lies all around._

'_Cause all you need to save me is to intervene_

_And make the walls come crashing down._

_Got dynamite?_

He grinned and folded the papers. She wanted him to keep trying. To prove to her that he truly wanted to be her friend. She was challenging him to break down her walls and that was definitely something he could handle. He slipped the song in his pocket and ignored the pouting cries of his band mates.

"Dude! Let us see!"

"Come on, Nate!"

* * *

"Why wouldn't you let us look at that song?" Kelly asked.

"Yeah, and where did you run off with it?" Torrey asked.

"Guys, forget about the song okay? I used it for what I meant to use it for, and that's all that matters," Ella grinned.

Kelly sighed and then reluctantly changed the subject, "So how do you think your dad is going to react?"

"It's not like he hasn't done a million things just as idiotic as what I did," Ella shrugged.

"Yes, but you're his little girl…you're supposed to be innocent and perfect, didn't you know?" Torrey smirked.

"I'm more worried about the impending phone call from my mother," Ella shuddered. "She'll probably threaten to fly in from Long Island."

"Ella!" A voice called to her right. She turned to find Nate. She swallowed thickly.

He caught up with her and gave her a small grin, "I was hoping to catch you before you got to rehearsal. Can we talk?"

"Um, sure," She mentally cursed herself. She thought the song would take care of any "talking" they might need to do. She motioned for Kelly and Torrey to go on ahead. They nodded and walked on.

Nate cleared his throat, "You wrote a great song."

She blushed, "Thanks."

"So, um, Connect Three's PR rep keeps asking me for a statement about last night…what would you like me to tell her?"

Her eyes widened, "You're asking _me_?"

"Well, I don't want to say something you want to keep private."

She gave him a small smile, "Thanks."

He shrugged, "Whether you like it or not you're my friend so it's no big deal."

"Right, well…I don't know what you should say," Ella said in thoughtful confusion.

"Is there anything you DON'T want me to say?" He asked gently.

"You could avoid 'Ella Pador is a complete idiot'," She said with a sigh.

"El," he said sternly.

She instinctively glared at him when he shortened her name. He ignored her.

"You're not an idiot," he grinned. "You just channeled Lindsey Lohan for the evening."

Despite herself she laughed lightly.

She looked shyly up at him, "If I haven't said so before…thanks for getting me out of there last night."

He smiled softly at her, "You're welcome and I'll just tell Tina that I don't have a statement. People are going to think what they want anyway."

She nodded, "Okay, I guess I'd better get back to rehearsal."

He smiled, "I'll see you later."

Nate didn't know it but he had just broken down a tiny portion of a wall. By asking her what he could or couldn't say to the press he proved to Ella that he didn't want to betray her trust. Ella felt his eyes on her until the moment the soundstage door closed behind her.

Before Ella could even get to the stage some one grabbed her elbow and began to drag her away. She looked up to see Headline's manager, Eddy. Eddy had always given Ella the creeps. He looked at everyone as if they were pawns in some sort of game or dogs he could train and control. He pulled her to the side. Ella looked up at Kelly and Torrey desperately but they weren't paying attention. Oddly enough, it was Tyler who saw what was going on and then quickly left to find her father and his band. Eddy had a temper and everyone but the members of Headline were terrified of him.

"What the HELL is this?" Eddy asked as he tightened his grip on her elbow and shoved the tabloid in her face. There were two pictures of her on the front. One of her dancing on top of the bar and one of Nate tossing her over his shoulder. The headline read: "Ella's Wild Night."

She opened her mouth to explain but he interrupted her.

"You could have at least been smart enough to stay away from cameras. I should never have let your father bring you on this tour. I _knew_ you would be trouble. You're too stupid to realize what trouble is, and I doubt that will change any time soon. If you EVER pull something this IDIOTIC ever ag-"

"Eddy!" Her father yelled angrily as he approached swiftly. "Shut up and cool down!"

Van glared at the man before continuing, "We'll talk about how YOU are allowed to treat MY daughter later."

Ella took advantage of his shock and wrenched her elbow out of his grip. Eddy stormed off and Ella doubted if he would ever "cool down." The rest of the band wasn't far behind her father. She tried to turn and make her way back to the stage but Dale stopped her.

"We've still got to talk about this," he told her.

Bo rolled his eyes at Van and Dale. He put an arm around Ella, "First things first. Are you okay?"

Ella smiled affectionately as Bo's southern accent slipped out, "I'm fine. Embarrassed but fine."

Randy sighed, "What happened, Kiddo? You've always been so…good. Maybe too good."

She sighed, "I freaked out."

Dale grinned, "About your Camp Rock pals?"

"How did you know?" Ella asked.

"When Connect Three approaches MTV about touring with us I get a little suspicious."

"Wait a minute, what's going on?" Van asked.

Ella smiled at her father, "Nothing, daddy. I'm sorry for last night and I promise it won't happen again."

"Good," He told her gruffly. "You're forbidden from going anywhere with Tyler ever again, young lady."

She nodded, "I understand."

He nodded as well, "If you're mother calls tell her about this chat."

Ella grinned, "Will do."

Ella's grin faltered as they walked away. Eddy's comments bothered her more than she cared to admit. She felt like "stupid" described her life. Although over the recent years she thought she had gotten better. She kept up to date on more than just gossip and fashion (though she still loved both of those things.) She didn't follow anyone blindly any more and she was no longer positive that everyone belonged to their own fairy tale. Certainly some people DID just not ALL people. She wasn't completely naïve anymore. She was a more mature, slightly darker Ella. She supposed that's what happens when you become sick of being "stupid."

But here she was being called her least favorite word once again. She had changed so much to avoid it and yet it was still following her around. What a lovely day this was starting out to be. Her cell phone rang and Ella groaned. That had to be her mother. Wonderful.

"Hello?"

"Ella, you are leaving that tour right now."

She sighed, "Mom, it hasn't even started yet."

"Exactly."

"I'm not quitting. Look, I made a mistake last night. I let myself get carried away. I've already promised dad that it won't happen again and, believe me, it won't."

"I had a feeling you'd say that…"

Ella knew this wasn't over.

"…that's why Chevy's coming out to join you."

"Mom! I do NOT need my older brother to babysit me!"

"I'm not leaving that man to look after you. Just humor me, okay? It will ease your mother's mind."

She sighed miserably, "Fine."

"Wonderful! Ella Billie Pador I never want to see drunken pictures of you on TMZ again. Are we clear?"

"Yes, mother."

"Have a good rehearsal. Love you."

"Love you too, mom," Ella said as they hung up.

She joined everyone else on stage and approached her father.

"Yes, Princess?"

"Chevy's joining us. Mom's orders."

"Ooh, he's kind of a stick in the mud," Van pouted.

She chuckled, "No, dad, he's just responsible."

He shrugged, "Same thing. When is he coming?"

"I don't know, mom just said she was sending him."

"Well, we'll be on the look out then won't we?"


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR! **You guys should know that this story is flowing out of me faster than anything I've ever written before. I've already written up to chapter 16. So you guys have lots of lovely Natella ahead!

_

* * *

_

Chapter Seven

* * *

"Dude," Shane said as he approached Jason and Nate. "Did you hear what happened at Headline's rehearsal?"

Nate's eyebrows flew upward, "What?"

"Their manager chewed Ella out about the tabloids."

Nate's eyes darkened and Shane continued quickly, "But the band came to her rescue."

"What did he say?" Jason asked as he watched Nate out of the corner of his eye.

"He basically called her an idiot from what I've heard," Shane answered hesitantly.

Nate glared at the wall in front of him, "Ella's far from an idiot."

"We know, Nate," Jason said as he patted his friend's shoulder sympathetically.

"Someone needs to talk to this…_manager_," Nate spat as he set aside his guitar.

Shane and Jason shared a look. It had been a long time since Nate had been this protective of some one.

"I think the band did when rehearsal ended at least Van said he was going to," Shane informed him.

Nate knew something they didn't, and that was what was causing his protective side to flair up. Ella thought they all thought she was stupid. She was afraid that they stopped talking to her because of that. She didn't need some jerk manager making her believe that any more than she already did.

"I'm gonna go get a snack," Nate said lamely as he stood up and left the room.

"Sure he is," Jason chuckled as he watched him go.

"You don't think he'd beat up the manager do you?" Shane asked worriedly.

"Nate? Nah, he might tear him apart with vicious rhetoric or a song, but physically? No way. Not yet anyway," Jason answered thoughtfully.

* * *

Nate found Ella gathering her things and preparing to leave the soundstage.

"Hey," he said softly.

She jumped a little and then inhaled slowly, "Nate."

"I heard about what happened with Headline's manager," He said leadingly.

"It was nothing," Ella said dismissively.

"I doubt that."

"Nate, leave it alone."

"I can't," He said firmly.

"Why not?" Ella pouted with a light stomp. Nate fought an amused grin.

"Because you deserve to know that you're intelligent."

Ella glanced down at the floor, "Thanks."

He was merely saying that in an attempt to get on her good side. At least that's what she thought.

"I'm serious Ella."

"Nate, stop," She snapped as he looked up at him angrily. "Look, I said I would give you a chance. You don't have to suck up to me."

He shook his head and met the full force of her angry gaze, "I don't suck up to anyone. I mean what I just said."

She swallowed thickly. Her gaze softened as she realized he was telling her the truth. Her breathing hitched as she spoke hoarsely, "Thanks."

Nate didn't know what was happening but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Ella's. They remained in that hallway staring at each other for several moments. Neither could move nor really wanted to move. There was a thick chemistry surrounding them and Ella quickly realized that it was very possible for her to fall for Nate. She was running the risk of getting lost in him. She immediately broke the connection. She could NOT fall for Nate. Nothing would ever come of it and she would end up hurt. Nate didn't know what to do with himself for a moment after she looked away. He had the sudden empty feeling of loss. Which was ridiculous because he hadn't lost anything. Had he? He shook away the feeling and decided to speak.

"How was your rehearsal?"

She grinned at him, "Other than the confrontation with Eddy it was great. I think this tour is going to be amazing."

Nate suddenly had an idea, "Why don't you stay and sit in on our rehearsal? Caitlyn will be there."

Ella bit her bottom lip. It might be fun to watch Connect Three rehearse. Was she actually considering this? Well, if she wanted Nate to keep trying then she had to give him some opportunities, "Sure sounds like fun."

"Great," He smiled. "We start in half an hour."

She nodded.

"And I think Caitlyn might already be inside if you would like to go find her," Nate told her as he walked away.

"I think I'll do that," Ella smiled as she watched him leave. She bit her bottom lip and tilted her head to the side as he walked.

"That boy has a great walk," She mumbled to herself in admiration. She shook herself, "Stop it, Ella. Stop."

Ella walked onto the soundstage and immediately spotted Caitlyn sitting in the front row of folding chairs. Ella joined her.

"Ella!" Caitlyn said brightly when she saw her. "What are you doing here?"

"Nate invited me to sit in. I thought it sounded like fun."

Caitlyn smirked, "Oh it's fun. And may I say that it's nice to see you…sober."

Caitlyn winked and bumped Ella's shoulder teasingly.

Ella blushed, "Yeah…sorry about that."

"Don't even worry about it. No damage done. I'm just glad you're here," Caitlyn smiled. "Are you excited about the tour?"

"I wasn't at first but now? I'm psyched! I'll be traveling the country and performing every night. What could be better?" Ella asked rhetorically.

"Me too, I can not wait," Caitlyn smiled.

"You're coming with us?" Ella asked.

"The guys are recording their next album on a studio-bus thing the label rented for them and I'm co-producing so I have to come along," Caitlyn beamed.

"I'm sure Jason is stoked about that," Ella smirked.

"I heard your brother is joining the tour," Caitlyn asked.

"Yes, it's my punishment for last night."

"Is that really a punishment though? You get to spend time with your brother," Caitlyn smiled.

"I guess not. Mom could have come out here herself. That would have been terrible," Ella shuddered.

"Is he still in the business?" Caitlyn asked.

Ella nodded, "He's living in New York and working as a song writer."

"When will he be here?" Caitlyn asked.

"I haven't heard anything official, but knowing him…promptly tomorrow morning in time for the last day of rehearsal," Ella chuckled.

"Good, he can watch the rehearsals with me and Andy," Caitlyn said brightly. The guys walked out on stage and waved to Caitlyn and Ella. They smiled and waved in return.

"I'm so glad Jason went back to the curly hair," Caitlyn sighed. "The straight hair just didn't suit him. I mean he was still adorable…just not AS adorable."

Ella chuckled at her friend's dreamy expression. She was happy for Caitlyn and Jason. They had that perfectly blended relationship that could survive anything. Ella had never even come close to having that, but she wanted it. She was beginning to doubt whether she was intended to have that though.

As the guys began to rehearse Ella sat back to enjoy the show. She always had fun watching them perform. They put on a great show and always made sure the audience enjoyed themselves. Ella was glad she decided to stay.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Colby and Mac are characters from the Camp Rock book series so they are not mine. Although I will be taking a few liberties with them, but not too many. If you haven't read about them in the books it's okay. There's not much to these guys actually, and what is to these guys will be explained in the narrative for those of you who haven't picked up the book series. This one is a little shorter, but I like it. Enjoy!

* * *

_Chapter Eight_

* * *

Chevy had called Ella when she got home from rehearsal. He had told her what time his flight got in and Stella had called her father to let him know she'd be late to rehearsal that morning. Chevy was staying with her until the tour started on Friday. They would be kicking off the tour in Los Angeles and then heading southwest and working their way around the nation. Ella ignored the paparazzi that had followed her to the airport. Ever since the other night they had been following her in anticipation of more juicy photos. Luckily she had thought to dress well that morning. She had on a pair of distressed denim shorts, a white spaghetti strap tank top, a black and pink flannel over shirt, and a pair of black cowgirl boots. She had slipped on her pink Ray-Bans and adjusted the strap of her leather black tote before looking straight ahead and marching through the mob of photographers. They shouted at her and snapped photos as she ignored them. She pretended not to notice the stares of the people around her as she entered the airport. She headed to the escalator and waited for her brother. He had asked her to meet him at the bottom of the escalator and then they would go and pick up his baggage.

Ella smiled when she spotted her brother coming down the escalator. He looked more like their father than she did. All the Hispanic blood in their family had been inherited by him. She waved at him when he saw her. He smiled brightly and rushed down the rest of the escalator to meet her. She chuckled as he pushed past a young college couple making out in the middle of the escalator step. He hugged her tightly and spun her around.

"How are you, little sister?" He asked as he released her. He kept one arm around her shoulders as they walked toward baggage claim.

"Same as always, I just have stalkers now," Ella smirked as she motioned to the photographers waiting on the other side of the sliding glass door.

His eyes widened, "That's a lot of photographers, El. I'm gonna talk to dad about getting you some security."

She pinched his arm, "I don't need security! That's why I have you!"

He grinned affectionately at her, "As much as I would like to be able to protect you from that I'm not trained for that. You need a professional security guard."

She moaned, "No I don't! It's not like I'm Tess Tyler! I'm just Ella!"

"Just Ella who happened to make herself seem like the new Nicole Richie," He teased. "I'm talking to dad."

"I never win ANY arguments anymore," Ella pouted.

"Just be thankful I'm not mom. You owe me for volunteering for this. I saved us ALL from months of awkwardness. Can you imagine having mom and dad on the same tour? We would all go nuts," Chevy told her pointedly.

"Very true," Ella said with a relieved sigh. "You are wonderful for coming out here."

"You're very welcome," He said as he leaned down and kissed his little sister's cheek.

"So, are you ready to see dad in action again?" Ella asked. "The last time we were on tour with him for any amount of time was for a weekend in middle school."

"Ah, yes, the weekend mom depended on Dale to keep her informed of our welfare. I'm still convinced those two have a thing," Chevy said with a slight grimace.

"Mom and Dale? That would be horrendously awkward," Ella said slowly.

"Agreed," Chevy said with a vigorous nod.

"Well, you're going to come with me to rehearsal. I've got some friends that really want to meet you," Ella told him happily.

"You're not trying to set me up are you?" He asked her.

She rolled her eyes, "No, the only girl in this group you're going to meet is already taken. Besides I vowed to never set you up again after last time. You dumped your meal on Lola…it was a disaster."

"I didn't mean to! The table cloth somehow attached itself to my belt!"

"Still, I'm NOT doing that again. Ever."

"Geez, have one little accident and suddenly you're little sister gives up on you," He said as he placed a hand on his chest and pretended to have the sniffles. "So glad you have faith in me, sis."

She punched his arm, "Shut up."

* * *

Ella and Chevy entered the sound stage and almost immediately came across the guys of Connect Three.

"Ella," Jason greeted her eagerly.

She smiled, "Hi, Jason."

Ella motioned to her brother, "This is my brother Chevy. Chevy this is Jason, Shane, and Nate."

Chevy nodded and shook their hands, "Otherwise known as Connect Three right?"

"That's us," Nate said with a smile. "And you're Chevy like the car right? Not Chevy like the actor and comedian."

Chevy grinned, "Points to the popstar for getting my name right on the first try."

Ella smirked, "Eddy still hasn't gotten it right, and he's known both of us since we were born."

Chevy rolled his eyes, "Eddy's a jackass. He can't see past his own nose."

Nate chuckled, "Amen."

"You've met him, have you?" Chevy asked.

"Not directly, no. But I know enough about the man," Nate said stiffly.

"So, you're sitting in on the rehearsal today?" Shane asked.

He nodded, "I'm told I'm going to be 'friend-adopted' by some one named Caitlyn."

Jason chuckled, "You've been told correctly."

"Cait actually brought more people," Shane grinned. "She and Andy ran into a few other guys from the Camp Rock days on a coffee run this morning."

"Who?" Ella asked curiously.

"Mac Wilson and Colby Miller," Shane answered.

"No way! I remember those guys!" Ella said with a bright smile. "Aw, Caitlyn used to have such a-"

Ella stopped when she remembered Jason was in the room, "Such a great, um, rapport with those guys."

"Rapport?" Nate smirked. "Word of the day toilet paper?"

Ella blushed and smacked his arm, "No."

"Relax, Ella, I know she used to date Mac," Jason smiled. "It's cool."

Ella studied his expression for a moment and realized he was genuinely okay with Mac's existence. He wasn't worried at all. She wondered for a moment what that kind of trust must feel like before smiling back at him and nodding, "Oh, good. I wasn't sure."

"Well, we're supposed to report for hair and wardrobe since this is a dress rehearsal," Nate said as he shook Chevy's hand again. "It was nice to meet you Chevy, and Ella we will see you later."

"Bye guys," She called after them as they left.

"They seem nice," Chevy said observantly.

"They are," Ella smiled.

"If I'm not mistaken didn't you once rant to me for a whole hour about the three of them being jerks?" Chevy asked.

She sighed, "A lot has changed since rehearsal's started."

"Did your wild night have anything to do with them?" he asked.

"It had everything to do with them," She told him honestly. "But it's gotten better. The other night was the lowest of the low for me."

Chevy peered thoughtfully after them, "I'm gonna have to keep an eye on them aren't I?"

"What do you mean?"

"You like one of them."

Ella bit her bottom lip, "That's ridiculous. Shane and Jason are taken and Nate is just plain annoying most of the time."

"Uh huh," He deadpanned. "Keyword: _most_ of the time."

Ella groaned, "Yes well unlike him you're annoying ALL of the time."

She linked her arm through his and pulled him toward the seating area where she could now see Caitlyn with Andy, Mac, and Colby. Ella blinked. Colby looked even more adorable than she remembered. He had that whole scruffy, sensitive, artist thing going for him. He was wearing loose fitting jeans and a plaid button up shirt with a white t-shirt underneath. He had a chain with a singular guitar pick on it around his neck and she involuntarily sighed dreamily. Chevy smacked her lightly on the middle of her forehead.

He shook his head as she focused on her brother, "I'll be watching him too apparently."

"Hey, Ella!" Caitlyn exclaimed brightly. She smiled at Ella and her brother. She immediately reached forward and shook Chevy's hand. "I'm Caitlyn. It's nice to meet you, Chevy. Ella's told me a little about you."

"I've heard a little about you as well," Chevy grinned. "You sound like a real character."

Caitlyn chuckled and shrugged, "That's what I am. Why deny it?"

Caitlyn motioned to the three guys beside of her, "These boys here, are Andy, Mac, and Colby. Ella, you remember Mac and Colby, right?"

"Of course," Ella said brightly as she shook their hands eagerly.

"You're still a big fan of pink and sparkly, I see," Colby said with a wink as he looked her up and down.

She chuckled and glanced down at her black and pink flannel shirt with her pink pearl finished Ray Bans hanging on the collar, "What can I say? Some habits are just too hard to drop. So what have you guys been up to since Camp Rock?"

Mac shrugged, "I've been in a few different bands, but mostly I've been writing and producing."

Colby nodded, "About the same. I just finished sending out another round of demos. So we'll see how that turns out."

Andy watched Ella carefully. She seemed smitten with Colby. He grinned and shook his head. He could sense the oncoming drama.

"Hey, El, don't you need to be in wardrobe and make up right now?" Andy asked.

Her eyes widened, "Crap! Yes! I've got to go. It was great to see you guys again and Caity, take care of Chevy for me."

Chevy rolled his eyes, "I thought I was here to take care of you?"

"That's just what I let you believe," She smirked as she walked away.


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nine_

* * *

Ella came back to the stage just as Connect Three was starting their run through. She, Kelly, and Torrey stood in the wings and watched. Ella couldn't get over how amazing the guys were. Their show was so full of energy. It was a different kind of energy than Headline. As they were watching Dale approached them.

"Have you heard from your dad this morning?" He asked Ella.

"No, why?"

"He's not here yet. Connect Three's run through is almost over."

"He's not here?"

"I talked to him briefly this morning and he said he was going with you to pick up Chevy."

Ella shook her head, "That was never the plan."

Dale sighed, "Hangover excuse?"

"Hangover excuse," Ella agreed.

"I'll get Susan to go over there and bring him here, but he will be late. You'll have to fill in for him," Dale said.

"Me?" Ella asked. "Why Me?"

"Because you know the song and you don't have to stay on your mark for the lighting crew like I do." He told her.

Ella took in a nervous breath, "Fine."

"Good, I'll call Susan," Dale said before walking away.

In the next half hour Connect Three's run through ended and the ten minute intermission took place. The opening act took the stage for his second set and Dale pulled Ella below the stage with himself, Bo, and Randy. She had to come up on the hydraulic platform with them. The opener finished and introduced Headline. The back up band began playing. A stage hand quickly put an ear piece and a mic pack on her before shoving a wireless microphone in her hand. Before she knew it the platform was moving, and Dale was telling her to sing.

"_I want you  
When the sun comes up,_

_I wanna make you mine, _

_I wanna make it count  
I want you  
I wanna take you home, _

_I wanna make it known, _

_I wanna take you on  
I want you  
Let me say it again, _

_I wanna say it again, _

_but let me say it again  
I want you  
I want ya more than a friend  
I'm gonna gonna make you mine!_

_And the bells will ring and the children sing 'cause you're gonna be all mine  
And the people dance as they clap they're hands  
Just see what we could be (I want ya)  
Just see what we could be (I want ya)  
Don't cha see what we could be (I want ya)  
Yeah to see what we could be."_

Performing with the band on the stage was the most exhilarating thing she had ever done. The lights, the energy, and the skill of the musicians themselves all gave her a thrill. This was so much better than Camp Rock. The song ended and her father rushed on stage. He placed his ear piece in as he ran and she placed his microphone on his stand. She returned to her spot beside Kelly and Torrey. The rest of the rehearsal was just like any other. When it was over the small crowd up front cheered wildly. Tyler rushed her.

"I didn't know you were THAT good!"

Dale smiled at her, "I think the Rock Princess just found her sound."

Every one was yelling and cheering. She blushed, and instinctively looked to wings where Nate stood. He beamed at her with pride. For some reason that look made her feel better than any of the others. She looked back to the crowd and saw Chevy, Caitlyn, Andy, Mac, and Colby all cheering enthusiastically. She smiled and curtsied playfully. The crew reset the stage for Connect Three's second run through while she accepted the applause. Van approached her and gave her a hug.

"Thank you for covering for me," He whispered as he hugged her.

"You owe me one, daddy," She smiled.

"I owe you a lot more than just one, sweetie."

"Girl, you are too good to be back up," Kelly said as they all headed off stage.

"I'm not THAT good," She protested.

"Yes, you are," Torrey smiled. "You're amazing."

* * *

"Did you know Ella was that impressive?" Jason asked Caitlyn as the hairstylist touched up his hair.

"No, I did not. I was just as surprised as you. I mean I knew she was good, but back in the Camp Rock days she always seemed to get stuck in the background. She never really had her moment to shine," Caitlyn answered thoughtfully.

"I can't say I was surprised," Nate smirked. "The quiet ones usually hide the most talent."

Shane nodded, "Mitchie used to be quiet."

Caitlyn chuckled, "Nice use of past tense."

"Yeah, well, you sort of corrupted her," Shane teased.

"Me?" Caitlyn asked in shock. "I think you're more responsible for present day Mitchie than I am."

Nick smirked at his friends, and replayed Ella's performance in his head. He suddenly had an idea for a song.

* * *

It was the day of the LA show, and everyone was going to be there. Including Mitchie and Lola.

"_If you had my love and I gave you all my trust would you comfort me?"_

"Hello?" Ella answered.

"Mitchie and I are on our way inside," Lola said brightly.

"I still can't believe you let Mitchie help you finalize that deal with Battery," Ella grinned.

"Neither can I! I'm a signed artist now! I can't believe it!" Lola exclaimed. Ella heard Mitchie laughing in the background. "I can't believe that _you're_ being nice to Connect Three!"

"They really came at us from all sides on this. Peggy and Caitlyn have been working on Barron, Sander, and Andy," Ella said observantly.

"We'll see if it lasts," Lola said darkly.

Ella smiled brightly, "I'm beginning to think it might last a while. Well, I've got to go let the hair ladies work their magic on me. I'll see you after the show."

"Definitely, girl," Lola said as she hung up.

* * *

Chevy hesitantly approached Nate's dressing room. Security had told him that Nate was looking for him. Chevy couldn't think of a reason why a popstar would be looking for him, but he was definitely curious. He knocked softly on the door and Nate quickly answered.

"Hey, man, come on in," Nate said as he opened the door wider.

"Security said you wanted to see me?" Chevy asked.

"Yeah, I need your opinion," Nate told him.

"On what?"

"A song. Caitlyn said you're a song writer."

Chevy stared at him in confusion, "Shouldn't you be talking to your bandmates about this?"

"It's not a song for Connect Three."

"Who's it for?" Chevy asked with a quirked eyebrow.

Nate took a deep nervous breath, "…Ella.'

Chevy's eyes widened, "You wrote a song for my sister…to sing?"

He nodded wordlessly.

Chevy sighed and sat down in a near by chair, "Are you going to play this song or do you just want me to look at the sheet music?"

Nate let out a relieved breath, "I was just gonna hand you the sheet music."

Chevy held out his hand for it, and Nate picked it up off of his coffee table and handed it to him. Nate watched anxiously as Chevy looked over the music. Nate's leg began to nervously bob up and down. Eventually he began to chew on his finger nails. Chevy hid a grin and took a little longer than necessary looking over the music. It was strange watching someone famous act normal and vulnerable. Chevy had to admit the song was good, and it seemed perfect for his sister. Her attitudes were reflected completely.

He smiled up at the younger man, "This is perfect for Ella, man."

"Really?"

"It's her style, depicts her personality, and it's catchy. I say show it to her," Chevy told him.

"She won't accept it if she knows I wrote it."

"Why not?"

"We've just started getting along again. I doubt her pride will let her accept a song from me," Nate explained.

"So, you're not going to give it to her?" Chevy asked worriedly.

Nate sighed, "I was hoping you would."

"Me?"

"I wrote it for her to sing. She won't sing it if she knows I wrote it, but if she thought you-"

"I'm not taking credit for someone else's work, dude."

Nate nodded and stared thoughtfully at the floor, "What if I used an alias? Would you give it to her then?"

"I might be willing to do that," Chevy agreed reluctantly.

Nate grabbed the music and quickly scribbled something down. Once he was done he shoved it back in Chevy's hands.

"Music and lyrics by Thomas Cole? Really?"

"I know…but Thomas is my middle name and coal is black, which is my last name. So it works. You try coming up with an alias at the last minute," Nate said defensively.

"Pat Impala."

"What?" Nate asked in confusion.

"My last minute alias…Pat Impala."

"Why Pat Impala?" Nate asked.

"Impala is a Chevy car model and Pat is like the first half of my last name just with a 't' instead of a 'd'."

"Right, Thomas Cole is better."

"Thomas Cole was a real person."

"Pat Impala sounds like a greaser straight out of 'The Outsiders'."

Chevy smirked, "Another reason why it's better than yours."

Nate grinned, "You're definitely related to Ella."

Chevy chuckled, "You doubted it?"

* * *

**A/N: The song in this chapter belongs to Fefe Dobson, and it's called "I Want You." Go check it out, it's a great song!**


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter Ten_

* * *

The LA concert went extremely well. There were only a few mistakes throughout the concert, and now everyone was getting ready to celebrate at the after party. Chevy had gotten an awesome idea during the show and had chatted with Andy about it. Ella could perform the song tonight at the party. He could play guitar and Andy could play drums. He wanted to make sure Nate would hear it though. He deserved to, and for that to happen he was going to need help. Only one person would be able to give him the help he needed. Caitlyn. So he had spoken with her and given her the gist of the plan after the concert. Now he was looking for his sister.

"El," Chevy called to her as he caught up with her as she was leaving her dressing room.

"What's up?" She asked him.

"My friend sent me a song for you," He told her.

Her eyes widened, "A song for me?"

"Yep, I just got it in the mail from New York this afternoon. It's perfect for you. Come on," He said as he took her hand and led her back toward the stage.

"Where are we going?"

"We're rehearsing the song with Andy."

"Now? Why?" Ella asked.

"Because you're performing at the party. Caitlyn is setting it up as we speak," Chevy smirked.

Ella stopped walking, "You two just decided this? Without asking me?"

"Don't you _want_ to perform?"

"Well, yeah…"

"Then quit arguing with me. We've only got an hour."

"An hour? You want me to learn a song well enough to perform in an hour?" Ella asked in shock.

"We can do it. Andy and I are here to help," Chevy said as he squeezed his sister's hand. "Besides this song is perfect for you."

They entered the room where the stage was set up. Headline and Connect Three were doing three shows in LA so the stage wouldn't be deconstructed for two more nights. Andy had gotten a hold of the sound guy and they were both waiting for Chevy and Ella.

"Let's do this," Andy said excitedly as he moved to sit behind the drums.

"You guys are insane," Ella said with a laugh. The sound guy handed her the microphone and returned to his position behind the control panel.

"It's why you love us," Chevy said as he picked up an electric guitar and handed Ella the music.

* * *

"Where's Ella?" Lola asked the group.

Nate's brow furrowed as he continued to look around, "I was wondering the same thing. She should have been here an hour ago."

Caitlyn grinned, "Don't worry, she'll be here."

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen Andy either," Lola said thoughtfully.

The lights came up on the small stage and Jason stepped into the spotlight.

"I want to thank everyone for coming out tonight on behalf of Connect Three and Headline. We appreciate all the friends, family, and press taking time out to be here. As a way of showing it we've got a special treat for all of you. Please welcome to the stage Ella Pador," Jason announced as Ella, Chevy, and Andy walked out on stage. Ella hugged Jason and thanked him as he handed her the microphone. Ella nodded at Andy and he started the song with a drum beat and Chevy followed with his guitar.

Nate's eyes widened. That was the song he wrote. She was going to sing it now? He hadn't been expecting that.

"_You walk and talk like you're some new sensation._

_You move in circles you don't need an invitation._

_You spend your money you can't get no satisfaction._

_You play it right so you can get the right reaction._

_It won't be long my darling,_

_Pick up the phone, nobody's on it._

_Where are your friends now, baby?_

_Aren't they the ones supposed to be there for…_

_You, you're falling down, the world starts spinning round._

_You, you're falling down, now which? look all around._

_You, you're falling down, and you know I'll be around._

_You're falling down, falling down._

_(Falling down, you're falling down, falling down)_

_What's out of place when you're lookin' in the mirror?_

_The truth is blurry but the lies are gettin' clearer._

_You're eyes are fixed, your smile is so elastic._

_You gave me roses but they're all just made of plastic._

_It won't be long my darling,_

_Pick up the phone, nobody's on it._

_Where are your friends now, baby?_

_Aren't they the ones supposed to be there for…_

_You, you're falling down, the world starts spinning round._

_You, you're falling down, now which? look all around._

_You, you're falling down, and you know I'll be around._

_You're falling down, falling down._

_Smile for the camera everybody's looking at ya._

_Smile for the camera 'cause they're all about to trash you._

_Smile for the camera (camera, camera),_

_Smile for the camera, who's gonna catch you?_

_You, you're falling down, the world starts spinning round._

_You, you're falling down, now which? look all around._

_You, you're falling down, and you know I'll be around._

_You're falling down, falling down._

_Smile for the camera everybody's looking at you,_

_Smile for the camera 'cause they're all about to trash you."_

The performance was better than he'd ever imagined. He beamed with pride as the crowd cheered.

"Phenomenal song, Nate," Caitlyn whispered to him as she applauded.

"He told you?" Nate asked with a sigh.

"He needed help and he knew I was the best," Caitlyn smirked.

"If you say a single word to anyone-"

"I would never," Caitlyn grinned. "This is your secret to keep or reveal."

The crowd continued to cheer. They wanted another song. A familiar tune began to play and Nate smiled. They were performing "Got Dynamite." Whenever he'd gotten stuck on "Falling Down" he had gone back and played a little of "Got Dynamite" to inspire him. So he knew it well by this point.

Jason arrived at Caitlyn's side and leaned toward both of them, "I think Ella has stumbled across something huge, here. People are going crazy."

"And they don't even have keyboards or a bass," Caitlyn nodded.

"Hey, doesn't Mac play keyboards?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, why?" Caitlyn asked.

"No reason," Nick smirked.

He would have to talk to Chevy later. There was great potential here. The song ended and Andy, Chevy, and Ella excused themselves. Ella approached them with her arms looped through Andy's and Chevy's.

"That…was awesome." She proclaimed excitedly. Lola pushed her way through the crowd and tackled Ella.

"You didn't tell me you started a band!"

Ella laughed and hugged her back, "I didn't."

"What?"

"One time thing, Lo," Ella said with a smile.

"No! I refuse to believe that!" Lola exclaimed with a grin. "You guys HAVE to be a band. You were too awesome."

"Who's that?" Chevy asked as he motioned to the woman coming toward them.

Ella glanced up in the direction her brother pointed and sighed, "That's Peggy."

"_That's _Peggy? Your old best friend Peggy? THAT'S her?" He asked repeatedly in shock.

"Yeah, so?" Ella asked.

Chevy cleared his throat, "Nothing, she just…grew up that's all. What's she doing these days anyway?"

"She's a recording artist," Mitchie told him as she and Shane joined the circle. Chevy and Mitchie had met briefly earlier in the evening.

"She is?" Chevy asked.

Lola nodded, "Margaret Dupree."

"Wait…Peggy is Margaret Dupree? I love her music!" Chevy said in recognition.

"You listen to Peggy's music?" Ella asked.

"She's good."

"And yet you've never _seen_ her?" Nate asked in disbelief.

He shrugged, "I don't own a TV and I don't read magazines."

"You don't have a TV?" Shane asked in shock. "How do you keep yourself entertained?"

Chevy arched an eyebrow at the popstar, "I read…and talk. You know like conversation."

Mitchie chuckled and patted Shane's shoulder consolingly.

"I…read." Shane pouted.

"I know you do, sweetie," Mitchie said gently with a smirk. "Well, Chevy, she's making her way over here. Now's your chance to tell her you like her music."

"And maybe you could mention that you love her," Andy teased.

"I don't _love_ her," Chevy protested.

"Right, so the panicked and flushed expression on your face is what? Casual interest?" Caitlyn grinned.

Ella rolled her eyes. Of course her brother would develop an interest in the person she was having the hardest time forgiving. Ella sensed Jason watching her and turned to give him a curious look.

"Still can't quite forgive Peggy, can you?" He asked.

Ella sighed, "She was the friend I thought I could always count on, Jase, and she _forgot_ about me."

He nodded, "That's true, but…"

"Jase-"

"BUT she feels terrible about that and she _wants_ to fix it. You just have to let her try the way you let us try," Jason continued.

"I know," She said softly. "I'm just not ready for that yet."

He nodded, "And I understand that, but just be sure to let her know when you _are_ ready."

She inhaled deeply and nodded, "I will."

"Hey, Ella," a voice said from behind them.

Both she and Jason turned to find Colby smiling at them.

"Colby! Hi!" Ella smiled.

"Hi," He repeated with a bright smile. "Dance?"

She nodded eagerly, "Sure!"

"Great!" He said as he gently took her hand and led her to the dance floor.

Jason shook his head, "I wonder how Nate's going to feel about this?"

"Hey, babe," Caitlyn said brightly as she kissed her fiancé's cheek. "Where's Ella?"

"Dancing with Colby."

"Oh boy, we're not telling Nate are we?" Caitlyn asked.

"Most definitely not."

"Good, and by the way Shane may not know Colby is at this party," Caitlyn said in a flat tone.

"So, Colby and Mitchie are at the same party and Shane doesn't know?"

"Yep."

"Well, this night's gonna be interesting," Jason sighed.

* * *

**A/N: **The song in this chapter is "Falling Down" by Selena Gomez and the Scene. They totally own it. Completely. Enjoy!


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **Okay, I usually don't like to beg for reviews, but I haven't gotten one in three chapters. At least one would be nice. Just to let me know if you guys love this or hate it. Just sayin'...you know...reviews are nice. Hope you guys enjoy!

* * *

Go Figure

By angellwings

_

* * *

_

_Chapter Eleven_

* * *

Nate found Mac by the bar and approached him, "Hey, man."

"Hey, Nate," Mac said with a nod.

"You play piano right?"

He nodded again, "Keyboards mostly. That's what people are hiring for."

"Right, did you catch Ella's performance?"

"Oh, yeah, she was awesome. Pretty catchy songs too. Colby and I were very impressed."

"Colby? Where's he?"

Mac grinned, "Dancing with Ella. I told you we were impressed."

Nick froze as Mac pointed out the couple on the dance floor. They were dancing awfully close. Nick felt a flash of anger. He pushed it back and focused on why he was talking to Mac to begin with.

"Ella's songs could use something couldn't they?"

Mac nodded, "Bass guitar wouldn't hurt."

"And keyboards."

Realization dawned across Mac's face, "You want me to join Ella's band."

"Well, I think there could be a band if they had a keyboardist," Nate told him honestly.

Mac grinned, "If they come to me I'll accept but I'm not going to them. Do they even really want to start a band?"

"I'm not sure," Nate told him. "But I'm gonna find out."

Nate took off toward the dance floor and tapped Colby's shoulder, "Mind if I cut in?"

Ella and Colby froze. Ella gave Nate a purposeful look.

"Um, sure, man," Colby said reluctantly. "I'll see you later, Ella."

"Definitely," She told him brightly before turning to Nate. "Was there something you needed?"

"Just thought I would tell you how amazing you were up there and…"

"And what?"

"I wanted to tell you that Lola is right. You guys should form a band."

"With only a singer, lead guitarist, and drummer?" She asked skeptically.

He grinned and nodded toward Mac, "Mac plays keyboards."

"Yes, but that still leaves a bass guitarist."

"You're in the music industry, El, they're every where," He chuckled.

"Yes, but if I want a band I can't just hire _any_ bass guitarist."

He nodded, "True, but you should definitely think about it."

She smiled and nodded, "Thanks, I will."

"So…you and Colby seem to be getting along well."

She blushed and chuckled, "He's nice. I like him."

"I can tell."

Nate opened his mouth to expand on his comment but he song ended before he could and Colby was back in record time.

"See you later, Nate!" Ella called over her shoulder as she and Colby walked away.

Nate suddenly understood why Shane had such a strong distaste for this guy.

* * *

They all arrived at the venue the next day to prepare for the second show. Ella walked right into a heated argument.

"Tyler, I'm sorry but you've used up your last chance."

"But I've done things WAY worse than this before!"

"After that incident with Ella I told you I didn't want to hear about anything like that ever again. Well, last was the last straw. I had to bail you out of jail, Tyler."

"But I need this job, man."

"Sorry, Tyler, there's nothing I can do."

Ella sighed and shook her head. All Tyler had to do was party a little less and he would be an outstanding musician. He was one of the best bass guitarists in the business. Nate's words from the night before rang in her ears. Tyler walked out of the room and spotted her.

"Go ahead, lecture me. You know you want to," He sighed.

"I'm not going to lecture you, I mean sure I think it's sad that you're letting drugs, alcohol, and women get in the way of your career. But I'm not gonna lecture you," she said honestly. "In fact, I'm going to offer you a job."

His eyes widened, "Seriously?"

She nodded, "On one condition."

"What's that?"

"The partying _can't_ interfere with rehearsals, recording, or call times of any kind," Ella said sternly.

"Deal."

"And unlike Dale I will _not_ bail your butt out of jail," Ella said as she shook his hand.

* * *

"You want to start a band?" Chevy asked. "With myself, Andy, Tyler, and Mac?"

"Yes, what do you think?" Ella asked her brother as she had her make up done for the show.

"I think…it might be fun," Chevy grinned. "I'll go call Andy."

"Right, and I guess I'll call Mac," Ella said excitedly as the lady finished with her make up and she stood from the chair. She parted ways with Chevy and headed toward her dressing room. Nate stormed around the corner and stopped abruptly when he saw her. He pulled her to the side of the hallway.

"Tyler? Of all the bass guitarists out there you pick Tyler?" He asked angrily.

"He's good!"

"He's a drunk and a troublemaker."

Ella quirked an eyebrow at him, "I'm well aware of that, _dad_. It won't be an issue and if it is…he's fired. Simple as that."

"I don't like this."

"Well, it's not your choice is it?" She sighed.

"Ella, come on, think about this," he said in a frustrated tone.

"I have. Some one should give Tyler another chance."

"Does it have to be you?" He asked in a softer tone.

"No, but it's going to be me," She told him adamantly. "And that's that, Nate."

Ella shook her head as she walked away. She was glad Chevy didn't question it. That was one person she wouldn't have to answer to. She closed her dressing room door and called Mac. He happily accepted the position. Ella smiled as she hung up. She was in a band. Now they needed a name and time to rehearse. The rehearsal time was going to be their biggest challenge. She and Chevy were going to be out of the state after tomorrow night. They would have to work out a schedule. She and Chevy would have to fly in and out and meet the tour at various places. It would be difficult but they could work it out.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **Okay, really, I've posted four chapters and gotten ZERO reviews. I know people are reading it, the hits tell me that, but at least ONE review would be nice, guys. I appreciate you reading it, but I would really like some feedback. At least let me know if I'm wasting my time with this story. I've got 19 chapters completed so it would be nice to know what you guys think of it. Please review...it's what fanfiction authors live for. Trust me.

* * *

Go Figure

By angellwings

_

* * *

_

_Chapter Twelve_

* * *

"_Who_ is this?" Ella asked in shock as Chevy and Van introduced her to a very large, very bald man in a black button up shirt and black slacks. Ella noticed a large tattoo on his neck that was mostly covered by the collar of his shirt.

"This is Jamie."

"And Jamie is?"

"Your bodyguard," Chevy told her.

"You were serious about that?" Ella asked him incredulously.

"Yes, I was."

"And I thought it was a good idea, Princess," Van said with a nod.

"You two agreed on something? Wow, that never happens," Dale smirked.

"Did you have to agree on _this_?" Ella pouted.

"It's nice to meet you too, Ms. Pador. I look forward to working with you," Jamie smirked. Ella's shoulder sagged and she gave him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Jamie. It's nothing against you. I'm just not comfortable with this," Ella told him.

"I understand. No one wants to believe that actually need some one like me around," Jamie told her with a small smile.

"If it helps, Nate recommended him," Chevy added.

Ella rolled her eyes, "No, that does not help."

"C'mon, I really think you two need to get over this Tyler thing already," Dale told her.

"He's the one who needs to get over it, Dale. Not me," Ella sighed.

"Well, maybe you should be the bigger person and break the silence first," Dale suggested.

Ella ignored him, "So, I'm guessing Jamie will be joining me and Chevy in L.A. tomorrow?"

Van nodded, "He goes where you go."

"And, trust me, you _can't_ ditch me," Jamie warned her.

"Fine, at least you seem to have a sense of humor," Ella told him with a small smile.

Jamie chuckled, "To work in the business I work in, sweetheart, you kind of have to."

This week the tour was in Vegas. The following day the busses would be heading to Houston. So Chevy and Ella were going to fly out to LA to rehearse with Andy, Mac, and Tyler, and then fly to Houston to meet up with the tour before the next show. Ella began to walk back toward her dressing room. Chevy and Jamie followed her while Dale and Van made their way to their own dressing rooms.

"You really should sort this out with Nate before we leave for LA tomorrow, El," Chevy told her in exasperation.

"He overreacted, so HE can sort it out with ME," Ella told her brother. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"You do realize Nate's too stubborn to do that right?" Chevy asked her.

"Yes, but I'm not going to apologize for something that isn't my fault! That's how I ended up letting Tess walk all over me, and I won't let that happen again, Chev," Ella said simply.

He sighed, "Okay, fine, whatever. I'm gonna go call Andy."

Jamie grinned. He could tell already that Ella Pador was going to be a handful. Ella entered the dressing she shared with Kelly and Torrey and closed the door behind her. Chevy kept nagging her about Nate. Why was he so interested anyway? Ella sat down at her make up counter and rested her head on its surface. She was still trying to figure out why Nate got under her skin so much. She was pretending she had all the patience in the world for their fight to be patched up, but really…it was driving her crazy. It was only her determination and will power that was keeping her from tracking him down and apologizing. Why was this bothering her so much?

The door behind her opened.

"Who's the bouncer standing outside our door?" Kelly asked.

"That would be Jamie. My bodyguard," Ella answered.

Torrey winced, "They actually went through with that?"

She nodded miserably and returned to resting her head on the make up counter.

"You look exhausted," Kelly commented sympathetically.

"Between the tour, the band stuff, and the strange Nate-Chevy team up I AM exhausted," Ella told them honestly.

"You and Nate still haven't talked, huh?" Torrey asked.

"No, jerk won't admit that he did anything wrong," Ella huffed.

"_If you had my love and I gave you all my trust would you comfort me?"_

Ella scrambled for her phone. Her shoulders unconsciously sagged when she saw the caller ID. Kelly and Torrey exchanged knowing looks.

"It's not Nate is it?"

"No," Ella smiled. "But it is Colby. Hello? Hey, Colby!"

Ella stepped out into the hall to take her phone call.

"You think she realizes how she feels about Nate, yet?" Torrey asked.

"I'm fairly certain she has NO idea," Kelly sighed.

"You think Nate feels the same way about her?"

"Would he have reacted so strongly to the Tyler thing if he didn't?" Kelly asked.

"Wow, how much longer until they have a huge blow up about this?" Torrey asked thoughtfully.

"I give it till the second leg of the tour," Kelly guessed.

"Really? That long? I say until the Atlanta show," Torrey told her.

"You wanna put money down on that?" Kelly grinned.

"Isn't that a little unethical?" Torrey asked.

Kelly nodded, "Yep."

"Twenty dollars sound good to you?"

"Perfect."

* * *

Shane glared at his band mate, and then gave Jason a pleading look. Jason shrugged. He was in the same position Shane was. Nate was organizing his song book and ripping and slamming whatever was handy. He'd been like this for a week. Since Dale told him Ella had hired Tyler. Shane, personally, was sick of it, but he knew Nate wasn't going to do anything about it until he was good and ready. Nate stood up from his chair and slammed it back under the table.

"Dude!" Shane yelled. "Stop taking your anger out on the furniture! What did it ever do to you?"

Nate glared at him, "I'm not angry."

Jason chuckled, "Yes because normally steam pours out of your ears like it is right now."

"Just go talk to Ella, please," Shane begged. "I cannot take this any more. She didn't do anything wrong, man!"

"Didn't do anything wrong? She hired the guy that-"

"Got her drunk and inadvertently tarnished her reputation. Yeah, we know," Jason interrupted. "But she doesn't see it that way. She's trying to help out a talented musician. That's all _she's_ trying to do, man. Nothing else."

"You're acting like she's going to run off and elope with him or something. She just wants to give him a second chance," Shane said slowly.

Nate sighed, "I don't understand why this gets to me so much…"

Jason grinned knowingly, "I can answer that one for you. You like her."

Nate gave his friend a confused glance, "Of course, I like her."

"No, you _like_ her, Nate," Jason repeated.

His eyes widened, "What? I don't!"

Shane shook his head, "Man, think about it. You can't stand Tyler because of what happened with him and Ella, and you glare at anyone who brings up Colby because you know that he's smitten with Ella. You definitely _like_ her."

Nate leaned against the table he was standing in front of, "No…"

"Yeah, you do," Jason smiled.

"Since when?" Nate asked himself in shock.

"Just a guess…but since you had to save her butt from the paparazzi," Shane added.

"I can't believe this, and yet…it makes so much sense," Nate said as he looked up at his band mates. "I _like_ Ella."

"And now the question is…what are you going to do about it?" Jason asked him.

Nate took in a deep breath, "Well, first I'm going to apologize for freaking about Tyler. After that…I have no idea."

"My advice," Jason said as he patted his younger friend on the shoulder. "Is to take it slow, but not _too_ slow."


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Okay, I got two reviews for the last two chapters from one reader (Special agent Ali)! I appreciate those reviews so much. They're the only ones I've gotten in four chapters! I really do want to hear from you guys about what you think of the story! Please tell me! It would help me out so much!

Go Figure

By angellwings

_

* * *

_

_Chapter Thirteen_

* * *

Ella sighed and kicked off her shoes once she reached her hotel room. She fell back on the bed and pulled out her phone. Nate had tried to call her several times, and she had just ignored him. She felt bad, but at the same time she was still sort of angry with him. He had tried to call her the night before as well but she had been on the phone with Colby. Colby totally understood why she wanted to hire Tyler. Colby never pressed her to talk about things she didn't want to talk about either. Every conversation was peaceful and normal.

Her phone alerted her to her 8 new voice mails and she sighed. She should probably give them a listen. Even if she didn't want to. She called her voicemail and held the phone to her ear.

"Ella, it's Nate. I just wanted to talk about what happened in LA. I-look, just call me okay?"

"Ella? C'mon, I know you didn't go out after the show with everyone else, and I know you can't be in bed already. Look, I just want to talk. Please?"

"Seriously, why aren't you answering your phone? Are you ignoring me? You are, aren't you? Real mature Ella. I'm trying to fix things, but I can't do that if you don't answer your phone."

There were four more just like that from Nate. The last one was from Lola who was just checking in to see how things were going. Ella didn't feel like hashing her and Nate's issues out over the phone. That just didn't seem right. But she thought he deserved to know that she did want to talk. Just face to face. So, she called him. He was either ignoring her, writing music, asleep, or had his phone on silent because he didn't answer and she got his voicemail.

"This is Nate, leave a message."

"Hey, Nate, it's Ella. Look, I just wanted to say that you're right I shouldn't have ignored you. But I don't think we should talk about this over the phone. I think we should wait until Chevy and I meet back up with the tour and talk about this face to face. Okay? And I'm sorry for not answering your calls the other day. Talk to you later, Nate. Bye."

That would have to do for now. She wanted to take a nap before she, Chevy, and Jamie headed over to Andy's to rehearse and finally decide on a name for the band. Ella was able to take a twenty minute nap before Jamie knocked on her door and told her that a car was waiting on her and Chevy. She blinked sleepily and slipped on her satin flats that matched her sequin covered tank dress. She grabbed her black leather motorcycle jacket before heading out the door. She didn't remember Chevy saying he hired a car, but maybe he just hadn't told her. She met Chevy in the elevator and smiled sleepily at him.

"Good nap?" He asked with an amused grin.

She nodded, "A wonderful nap. You didn't tell me you hired a car."

"I didn't. I thought you did?" He said in confusion.

She shook her head, "You honestly think that I would ever have the foresight to hire a car?"

He chuckled, "I guess not. But if you didn't and I didn't then who did?"

Ella turned to Jamie, "Did you?"

He chuckled, "I'm not your personal assistant, I'm your bodyguard."

Ella shrugged, "Maybe Dale hired it."

The elevator doors opened and they walked through the lobby and out the revolving door. Jamie approached the car first and opened the door and peeked inside. Jamie let out a deep chuckle.

"Oh, this is just classic."

"What?" Ella asked curiously. A curly brunette head leaned out the door and smirked at the Pador siblings.

"Surprise."

Ella's eyes widened, "Nate?"

"You wouldn't answer my calls," He said plainly as if that would explain his presence.

"So naturally you followed me out here?" She asked in disbelief.

"Naturally," He responded with a grin as he stepped out onto the sidewalk. He motioned for Ella to step into the black town car. She glared suspiciously at him.

Chevy cleared his throat and waved, "You know I think I'll just take a cab and let you two crazy kids work out your issues."

Jamie grinned at him, "Smart man. Wish I could do the same."

"You could sit in front of the partition with the driver," Chevy suggested. "That might help."

Jamie nodded appreciatively, "Good idea, kid."

Jamie quickly loaded into the front seat next to the driver. Chevy walked over to the hotel doorman and had him call him a cab. Ella sighed and reluctantly got in the car.

Nate grinned and got back in the car with her. Once he closed the door he turned to face her, "So I got your voicemail as I was getting off the plane, and it looks like we're face to face. Just like you said you wanted."

"You think you're so clever, don't you?" Ella asked him in a flat tone.

"I don't think, I know," He smirked.

She shook her head, "You're so smug."

"Some people think my smugness is cute," He commented with a grin.

She couldn't help but grin in return, "You're in a good mood for some one who's spent the last couple of days leaving me angry voice mails."

"Seeing your face as I stepped out of the car suddenly made my day so much brighter," Nate chuckled. The car stopped and Jamie rolled down the partition.

"Traffic's at a stand still. It's gonna be a while before we reach Andy's," Jamie told them. "And Nate, you do have security here with you don't you?"

He nodded, "Of course, they're following in another car at a reasonable distance."

Jamie gave him a grim look, "Good, I was afraid I was gonna have to lecture you boy."

The partition went back up and Nate turned to Ella, "It looks like we have plenty of time to discuss this Tyler thing."

She crossed her arms over her chest, "I'm not changing my mind."

He sighed, "And I won't ask you to. I shouldn't have ambushed you the way I did."

Ella nodded, "It wasn't very fair of you. It's not like I was thinking about running away with him or anything."

"I see that now, but at the time…all I could see was you giving a second chance to a guy who caused you a lot of pain," Nate told her honestly.

She sighed, "I know, and maybe I overreacted a little as well. I just don't like it when people treat me like this naïve little girl. I'm not that little girl anymore, Nate."

He nodded, "Sometimes, Ella, I just can't help it. You…you make me want to protect you, and I'm not quite sure why. You just get under my skin and stay there and I can't think clearly most of the time. You fog things up."

Ella felt herself blush and looked away from him. She didn't quite know what to say, "Nate…"

"You don't have to say anything," Nate told her bashfully. "I just thought you should know."

She gave him a small smile, "The feelings mutual, Nate. You're not the only one who occasionally feels like they're living in a fog."

Their eyes connected and they shared soft smiles for several minutes.

"_If you had my love and I gave you all my trust would you comfort me?"_

The moment was broken and Ella scrambled to answer her phone.

"Hello?"

Nate gave her an understanding look as she answered her phone.

"Oh, hey, Colby," Ella said brightly. Nate's face fell and he turned away from her to face the window. Traffic had started moving very slowly. He hoped Ella and Colby didn't talk for too long. He didn't know how long he could control his gag reflex.

"You're just being nice, C," Ella blushed. Nate rolled his eyes. "C"? Really? "Sure, I think I can maybe meet you for coffee tonight after rehearsal or you could come to rehearsal if you want."

Nate's eyes widened. Colby was coming? Great, just great.

"Oh, well that's too bad, but I'm definitely up for coffee after rehearsal. Do you want to just meet me at the Starbucks down the block from Andy's? Great! I'll see you there," Ella smiled as she hung up.

"Hot date?" Nate asked flatly.

"No, just friends getting together for coffee," Ella told him. He grinned slowly.

"Then you won't mind if I tag along."

"What?"

"I haven't actually talked to Colby in a while. It might be fun to catch up," Nate grinned.

"Oh, I-um-you…yeah, sure," Ella said as she held back a sigh. "Fun."

Nate turned back to the window with a grin. He was very pleased with himself at the moment. If he could keep Ella and Colby from being alone then maybe he could stop this relationship before it started.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: **Okay, so here's chapter 14! And I'm still very anxious for reviews! So please review! All of the songs mentioned and/or used in this chapter belong to **Ashley Tisdale**. I love her album "Guilty Pleasure" SO much!

* * *

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

_Chapter Fourteen_

* * *

"Hey, Nate! Man, I didn't know you were hangin' out with us today!" Andy exclaimed happily as they finally entered his house.

Nate smiled at the drummer, "It was sort of a last minute thing."

"Oh, cool. Well Ty and Mac are already settled in the garage," Andy told them as he led the way. Ella hugged the rest of the band and came back to stand with Chevy who put an arm around her in a brotherly fashion.

"Alright, first things first. We need a name," Chevy grinned. "Last time we talked about this we all agreed that Ella should be our front girl."

Ella sighed, "I still don't think that's fair."

"Oh, come on," Tyler said. "Saying 'Ella Pador and the…' is way cooler than just saying 'the whatever-we-are'."

Nate's brow furrowed, "Should I be worried that that actually made sense to me?"

Ella chuckled at Nate and shook her head, "It just makes me sound…conceited."

"Well, we voted and majority won so deal with it," Mac teased with a smirk.

Chevy smiled and squeezed his sister's shoulders, "Now, what should we call the rest of the band?"

"I think it might be cool to play off of your dad's band," Andy told Chevy.

"Dude, calling ourselves Ella Pador and the Headlines would be extremely tacky," Tyler told him.

Nate made a scoffing sound but resisted saying how ironic it was that _Tyler_ was defining tacky.

"I'm not saying that we should _call_ ourselves Headline. I'm saying we use something similar," Andy explained.

"Like what?" Mac asked thoughtfully.

"Maybe something newspaper related…"

"Byline?" Mac suggested.

Ella wrinkled her nose, "Too similar."

"The Washington Post?" Nate suggested jokingly.

Tyler quirked a disapproving eyebrow at Nate, "Dude, really? That's like suggesting the New York Times."

Nate sighed laboriously and rubbed a hand across his brow. Ella's shoulders shook with quiet laughter, and she smirked at Nate.

"Wait, the New York Times isn't a bad idea," Chevy said slowly. "Ella Pador and the New York Times."

"People are going to think we're from New York if we do that," Mac chuckled.

"We could take out the New York," Andy added.

Ella smiled, "Ella Pador and the Times. I…actually like it."

"So, are we agreed? Ella Pador and the Times?" Chevy asked the group. They all nodded and voiced their agreement. "Alright, well that's settled…time to rock. What should we work on today, ladies and gents?"

"We should show them our new song," Ella suggested excitedly.

"Is it ready to show them you think?" Chevy asked.

"I don't think there's much more we can do to it, Chev," Ella smirked. "You've cleaned it up so much that it shines."

He nodded, "You're right. You're totally right. And we probably should go over 'Falling Down' and 'Got Dynamite'."

"We should work on 'I Want You'. I think it's safe for us to cover that," Tyler suggested. "Besides Ella rocked it out last time."

"I really want to try out Mac and Andy's new song too," Ella added.

Andy grinned, "Well if we do that then I want to rehearse 'What If', Ella."

Ella glared at him playfully, "Fine, it's only fair I suppose."

"Alright," Chevy smiled, "I think six songs is enough for this rehearsal. Let's go over the new ones first. So, do we do 'What If', 'Acting Out', or 'How Do You Love Someone' first?"

"Hmm, do we want to start out depressing, rebellious or…well, depressing?" Ella smirked.

"Can we go with rebellious, please?" Nate asked with a grin. "While depressing songs are awesome I'm in the mood to hear something else at this moment."

"Then 'Acting Out' it is," Andy nodded. He started the count and then they all began to play. Andy and Mac had sent Ella and Chevy the music to rehearse on their own. The song started slow with heavy drums and bass. The lead guitar and keyboard came in with Ella's vocals.

"_Up above the surface I was just a perfect child, _

_But underneath it all I was craving to be wild._

_Don't you judge by the cover it's so far from what you see._

_I'm losing all my patience waiting on you to believe._

_I'm suffocating. I can't breathe."_

The beat sped up as the chorus approached and Nate began to tap his foot in time with the song. He smiled as Ella ripped the microphone off the stand and really began to get into the performance.

"_Let me out this cage. I'm not gonna hold back._

_I'm'a break these chains, I'm taking control now._

_Gonna give you something to talk about._

_It's another side of me. I'm acting out._

_Set me free. I'm ready to show you,_

_This is what I need. It's time to get dirty._

_I'm'a show you what I'm talkin' about._

_It's another side of me. I'm acting out."_

Nate decided he liked this song. Mac and Andy had written a great song for Ella. She obviously had fun performing it. They finished the song and performed it a couple more times in order to iron out some kinks. Ella took a sip of her water bottle and turned toward Andy.

"You really have no idea how much I love that song," Ella smiled.

Mac shook his head, "Actually we do. You nearly broke the mike stand there, Ella."

She stuck her tongue out at the keyboardist and grinned, "I just got a little excited, that's all."

"Okay, let's work on 'What If' since we all have that music already, and then we'll take a ten minute break so that I can get figure out where I put my copies of 'How Do You Love Someone' that I made for you guys," Chevy announced. "Mac, start us off, please."

Ella glanced nervously at Nate as the soft piano started. Andy and Mac were the only members of the old Camp Rock group who had heard this song. She had disguised it as a love song, but it wasn't hard to see what real life situation she had gotten her inspiration from. Nate noticed the nervous glance. He decided he needed to pay close attention to this next song.

"_Don't speak, I can't believe,_

_This is here, happening._

_Our situation isn't right._

_Get real, who you playin' with?_

_I never thought he'd be like this._

_You were supposed to be there by my side._

_When you say that you want me,_

_I just don't believe it._

_You're always ready to give up,_

_And never turn around._

_What if I need you, baby?_

_Would you even try to save me?_

_Or would you find some lame excuse,_

_To never be true?_

_What if I said I loved you, _

_Would you be the one to run to?_

_Or would you watch me walk away without a fight?"_

Nate immediately got it. This wasn't a love song. It was really a song about abandonment in general. For Ella this meant it was about people like himself and Peggy and Caitlyn. The people Ella had trusted that had forgotten her. His chest hurt as he listened, but he didn't want to stop listening. This was helping him understand. It would help him figure out how to make it all up to her.

"_So sick of worrying,_

_That you're gonna quit over anything,_

_I could trip and you'd let go like that,_

_And everything that we ever were seems to fade,_

_But not the hurt._

'_Cause you don't know the good things from the bad._

_When I say that I want you,_

_You know that I mean it._

_And in my hour of weakness, _

_There's still time to try._

_What if I need you, baby?_

_Would you even try to save me?_

_Or would you find some lame excuse,_

_To never be true?_

_What if I said I loved you, _

_Would you be the one to run to?_

_Or would you watch me walk away without a fight?"_

As the song went into the bridge Ella closed her eyes and let herself go. She put everything out there for Nate to see. If he wanted a second chance then he needed to know just how much damage had been done. This was the part that was always the hardest for her to sing.

"_Everytime I speak you try and stop me,_

'_Cause every little thing I say is wrong._

_You say you're noticing, but you never see,_

_This is who I really am, that you can believe._

_Makes me want to know right now,_

_If it's me you'd live without _

_Or would you change your mind?_

_What if I need you?"_

The song went on to repeat the chorus two more times, but Nate was still caught up on the bridge. It reminded him of that night in the limo. Ella thought that they had just deserted her because she was…a ditz. And he had to admit that he could understand how she could see it that way. It wasn't true. It had never been true, but it would be easy for any one to think it was their fault when the people they care about just…disappear. Once again, he couldn't believe that things had gotten that bad. That they had all just forgotten about one portion of their friends. Well, he knew how to fix it now, at least.

He had to prove to Ella that he wasn't going to disappear again. They all had to show her that they were back for good.

The song ended and they ran through certain weaker sections over again until they were satisfied with the sound, and then Chevy told them all to take a break. Chevy left the garage to track down the stack of papers he had brought with him. Andy noticed the looks Ella and Nate kept exchanging. Nate was itching to talk to her and Ella was itching to avoid him. Andy wasn't going to let her avoid Nate this time. He had a feeling she needed to hear him out. Andy ushered Mac and Tyler into the house. He couldn't even remember what excuse he gave them, but it appeared to do the trick.

Nate watched the door that led from the garage to the house close, and then approached Ella. He surprised both himself and her when he quickly pulled her into a hug. He hadn't intended to hug her. It had just happened. In fact, he was just now realizing that he had never hugged Ella. Not even back when they both attended Camp Rock. He just wasn't a very touch oriented person, but at this moment he felt it was the perfect way to express himself. Ella stayed still for several moments before she relaxed and wrapped her arms around his back. He felt her rest her head against his chest and he smiled softly.

Neither said a word. They just continued to hold on to each other in silence. Nate honestly didn't know what to say or if he really _needed_ to say anything. Finally Ella spoke up.

"Nate?" She asked in a small voice.

"Yeah, Ella?"

"You're sticking around this time right? You're all planning on sticking around?"

His heart broke for her a little bit. It hurt that she even felt like she needed to _ask_ that, "We're not going anywhere, El. _I'm_ not going anywhere."

She sighed contentedly and relaxed against him even more. Nate was now facing a completely different problem.

Now that he was holding Ella…he didn't want to let her go.

Things were only just _beginning_ to become complicated.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **So, I've gotten some really lovely encouraging reviews recently! Thank you so much for those! You have no idea how much I appreciate the encouragement! You guys rock! The song in this chapter is **"Masquerade" by Ashley Tisdale! **Enjoy!

_

* * *

_

_Chapter Fifteen_

* * *

Nate grinned victoriously at the look on Colby's face when he and Ella entered Starbucks after rehearsal. His face showed obvious disappointment. Ella waved at him as they approached. She hugged Colby quickly and sat down next to him at the small round table. Nate sat down on the other side of Ella, across from Colby.

He reached across and shook Colby hand, "Colby."

"Nate."

"I'm gonna go get a coffee," Ella said pleasantly. "I'll be right back."

Once she was out of earshot Colby turned to Nate, "What are you doing here?"

His mouth spread into a smug grin and he shrugged, "Getting a cup of coffee, you?"

"I was hoping it would just be me and Ella," Colby told him.

"Oh, my bad. Maybe you should have made that clearer to her."

Colby rolled his eyes, "You knew what I wanted. Man, you Connect Three guys get jealous really easily. Shane still hates me, and I never even had a thing for Mitchie."

"But you have 'a thing' for Ella?" Nate asked.

He smiled, "She's cute, funny, and talented. What's not to like?"

A frustrated feeling rose in Nate's chest. He was starting to feel guilty. Colby actually seemed like a decent guy, and Ella liked him. Should he really ruin this for her? But, then again, what about what he wanted? He sighed. If only Colby were a jerk or an idiot like Tyler then he wouldn't feel this conflicted. Ella came back with her coffee and sat down.

"Are you guys going to get anything?" She asked.

"Um, you know what, on second thought I'm think I'm gonna go," Nate announced. "We've got an early flight tomorrow and there were a few things I wanted to get done before then."

"Are you sure?" Ella asked.

_No, _thought Nate. "Yeah, I'll just get my coffee and go. But you probably shouldn't stay out too late either. You need your sleep too."

Ella gave him an amused grin, "Well, thank you for looking out for me, Nate. I promise I'll be back at the hotel at a reasonable hour."

He nodded, "Okay then. I'll see you in the morning. Colby it was good to see you again."

Colby waved again as Nate left, "You too, man."

As he left Nate couldn't help but feel like he was making a very big mistake.

* * *

The next morning Nate and his security guard met Chevy down in the lobby. Two cars would be picking them up to take them to the airport very shortly.

"So," Chevy grinned. "How was coffee last night?"

Nate shrugged miserably, "I wouldn't know. I left."

Chevy's eyes widened, "You left? You left Ella alone with Colby?"

He sighed, "Yes, and now I'm really regretting it."

Chevy shook his head, "You're a better man than me, my friend."

"I'm a stupid man, that's what I am."

Chevy chuckled, "Yeah, you're that too."

"Hi, guys!" Ella said brightly as she and Jamie joined them.

"Please tell her to calm down," Jamie said groggily. "She's too chipper for five in the morning."

"You'd be chipper too if you had a night like mine," Ella said with a contented sigh. "Colby's meeting the tour in Orlando in a few weeks."

"Really? Well, good for you," Nate said with a forced smile.

"How is he affording that?" Chevy asked. "Didn't Mac say he was having trouble finding work?"

Ella shrugged, "He said something about having a new job last night. I didn't think to ask what it was."

"Is his meeting the tour going to become a habit?" Nate asked.

Ella smiled, "Don't know, but I hope so."

"The cars have just pulled up," Jamie informed the group. They loaded into the cars and headed to the airport. Once the car was on it's way Ella turned to Chevy.

"When's the band's next rehearsal?"

"Five weeks," He told her. "We're supposed to be working on new songs until then. Next time we meet we're going to rehearse and hopefully record a demo."

Ella smiled brightly, "A demo? Fun!"

Chevy chuckled and nodded, "We're gonna have to start shopping around for a manager and some gigs."

"Good, let's just make sure our manager is easier to get along with than Eddy, please," Ella told her brother with a sigh.

He nodded in agreement, "Of course."

"Have you guys scheduled studio time yet?" Nate asked curiously.

Chevy sighed, "No, but it's gonna be really expensive."

"You could use my studio. I have one in my house," He suggested.

Chevy's eyes widened, "Dude, why do I always forget that you're rich? Can we really use your studio?"

He chuckled and nodded, "Yeah, it's not a problem."

Ella smiled at him, "Thanks, Nate."

"Anything for my friends."

Ella didn't quite know why but she sensed sadness in Nate's tone.

* * *

Ella, Nate, and Chevy were picked up by a private plane Vibe Records hired for them. Ella closed her eyes and leaned back against the headrest of her seat. She had gotten in later than she should have last night, but she had been having too much fun talking to Colby to go to bed. She wanted to take a nap on the flight but she had a new melody stuck in her head. Her guitar was packed up and Chevy was sleeping so she pulled out a pad and wrote down the basic chords she was hearing in her head and then moved onto lyrics.

"Writing a song?" Nate asked with an amused smirk.

"How did you know?" She asked.

"You're humming," He chuckled.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" She said quickly.

"Don't worry about it. Need any help?" He asked.

"Actually, an opinion might be nice. I think what I've got written down is going to be the chorus. Could you tell me what you think?" She asked him hesitantly. He nodded and took the pad from her.

_I won't mind trying on someone else,  
I won't mind seeing just how it felt.  
I might like changing my disguise,  
To make you happy._

Here's my formal invitation.  
You and me go masquerading.  
Lose ourselves in this charade,

_And is this love we're imitating?  
Do we want what we've got?  
If not, I say so what.  
Here's my formal invitation._

Nate wasn't quite sure what to make of this. Sure, he understood the meaning of the lyrics, but he had a feeling it was about her and Colby. He squirmed in his seat as he read it. Did this mean Ella was willing to change herself for Colby? He hoped not.

"Nate? Anything wrong?" Ella asked.

"What?" He asked as he shook himself. "No, no. It's just I think this first part would work better as a pre-chorus instead of a part of the chorus. That way you can change it depending on what you're different verses say."

Ella smiled at him, "That's brilliant! Thanks!"

He nodded, "It's really good, Ella. Once you've got the melody worked out I'd love to hear it."

"Well, I might be getting your opinion on some more lyrics before this flight is over," She said happily as she took back the pad and began writing again.

Nate settled his head back against his head rest and glanced over at Ella every now and then. He smiled softly and tried not to make his obsessive glancing too obvious. He found Ella's determined face adorable. Her eyes narrowed on the page and she chewed on the back of the pen as she thought. When the pen left her mouth to glide across the paper she would nibble on her bottom lip. The entire process just made her all the more attractive.

She suddenly turned to face him, "Would you mind looking at the entire thing now? I finished my lyrics."

"Definitely," He told her as he took the pad out of her hands.

_Hip shaker, dream maker,  
Heart breaker, earth quaker,  
I can be anything that you want me to.  
Coin spender, mind bender,  
Jet setter, go getter,  
Changing my getup for anything you choose._

I won't mind trying on someone else.  
I won't mind seeing just how it felt.  
I might like changing my disguise,  
To make you happy.

Here's my formal invitation.  
You and me go masquerading.  
Lose ourselves in this charade,

_And is this love we're imitating?  
Do we want what we've got?  
If not, I say so what.  
Here's my formal invitation.  
You can be my…_

School teacher, mind reader,  
Dream weaver,

_Just be the one I can count on to play it up with me,  
Hot waiter, cool skater,  
Trail blazer, pulsator,  
Naughty and nice,  
What I know you want to be._

You wanna try on someone else.  
You might like seeing how it felt.  
Do you mind changing your disguise,  
If it makes me happy?

Here's my formal invitation,  
You and me go masquerading.  
Lose ourselves in this charade,  
And is this love we're imitating?  
Do we want what we've got?  
If not, I say so what.  
Here's my formal invitation.  
Let's go, let's go masquerading.

We'll make it fun.  
When it's over and done,  
I still want you to see the real me.  
No more disguises,  
Let true love decide,  
If we should be together.

Nate had to admit he liked the second verse better than the first verse. At least Ella knew that if she was willing to change then he should be too. Not that he thought it was healthy to change yourself for some one else when it wasn't really necessary. He smiled at her, "It's good!"

"Really?" She asked.

He nodded, "I would add one more chorus, but other than that it's a solid song."

Ella breathed a sigh of relief, "Good."

"Remember to let me hear it once you finish the melody," He told her with a smile.

She nodded, "I promise that you will be the first to hear it when I finish it."

Ella put away and her pad and sighed happily, "I think I'm going to take a nap now that this song is out of my head."

Nate grinned, "Sounds like a plan to me. We've still got another half hour before we get there."

"Nate?" Ella asked as sleep began to creep into her voice.

"Yeah, Ella?"

"Maybe sometime you and I can go get coffee," She offered. "You know, to make up for last night."

He smiled brightly at her, "Maybe we can."

She drifted slowly off to sleep, and he couldn't help but think that maybe Colby wasn't as big of an obstacle as Nate thought he was. Things definitely looked better now than they had just a few hours ago.


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter Sixteen_

* * *

Nate had been forced against his will to watch Ella grow increasingly more attached to Colby. They talked non-stop it seemed, and Ella began to act like her old hyper self. He would have smiled more though if she had been acting like that over _him_ and not Colby. Ella and Colby were all _but_ an official couple at this point, and now Nate really felt like his decision to leave the coffee shop all those weeks ago was a stupid one. The week he dreaded was upon them.

Colby was meeting the tour today. He was going to stay for the rest of the week and then travel with Ella, Chevy, and himself back to L.A. Nate was not looking forward to it at all. He was going to have to watch Ella fall all over this guy.

The worst part was he knew that Ella planned on staying in her apartment instead of a hotel. He could foresee what was really going to happen though. She would end up staying with Colby. He just knew it.

Then she would ultimately write another song about her new relationship, and ask Nate to look over it for her. Why had he left that Starbucks again? If he had stayed then maybe Ella would be attached to him instead. Nate heard fast footsteps down the hall and leaned back to glance out the door. Ella ran by quickly with her cell phone in her hand. Nate sucked in a breath that was intended to give him strength. Colby was here.

Some one cleared their throat from behind him and he turned to see Caitlyn staring at him knowingly.

"Do you make a habit out of barging into people's dressing rooms?" Nate asked her.

She smirked at him, "I do when their door is open."

"What do you want?" He asked with a sigh.

"Oh, I don't want anything. I just thought you might need to talk about what you want, that's all," She said as her smirk remained on her face.

He glared at her, "I don't know what you mean."

She rolled her eyes and shut his dressing room door behind her, "Yes you do. You've been miserable for the past couple of days ever since Ella reminded everyone Colby was coming for a visit."

"Cait, I don't want to talk about it."

"Uh huh," She said with a sigh. She turned and opened the door, "Come and find me when you just can't take not talking about it."

Caitlyn walked out of the room shaking her head. If Nate didn't talk to somebody he was going to explode, and Nate's explosions were never pretty. Caitlyn continued down the hallway, but was quickly pulled inside a nearby closet. She jumped as arms wrapped around her from behind and thought about elbowing her attacker in the stomach…until she reached behind her and felt a head of curly hair.

"Jason!" She yelled as she turned to face him. She chuckled as he reached over and turned on the light. She wrapped her arms around his neck, "You were about to get yourself very hurt."

He grinned, "Well, I couldn't very well make out with you in the middle of a crowded hallway, could I?"

She laughed and tugged lightly on the back of his curls, "Who says you'll get to make out with me in here?"

He stuck out his bottom lip and pouted, "Won't I?"

"You've got a show in about an hour. I wouldn't want to mess up your hair and be yelled at by your hair stylist," Caitlyn smirked.

"Seriously?" He pouted again.

"You've got sound check in fifteen minutes and you're all dressed and ready," Caitlyn reminded him.

He huffed, "Fine, but as soon as I see you after the show—"

"We'll make out. I promise," Caitlyn grinned as she gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"I'm gonna hold you to that," He said as he opened the closet door and motioned for her to exit first. "How did it go with Nate? Did you get him to talk?"

"No, of course not. He's too stubborn."

"Well, let's just hope that we'll all have time to take cover before he explodes," Jason said as they walked down the hall to his dressing room.

"And let's hope he doesn't explode at Ella," Caitlyn added.

"We've just gotten her and the others back. We definitely don't want Nate to push them all away," Jason agreed.

* * *

Kelly waited patiently as Andy's phone rang. He answered on the third ring.

"Hello, darlin'," Andy answered with a deep voice and a faux southern accent.

Kelly rolled her eyes and laughed, "Hello to you too."

He chuckled, "So, what can I do for you?"

"Well, my boyfriend can fly down here and hang out with me for a week," Kelly hinted.

"Can I really?" He asked teasingly.

"Oh hush, be serious," Kelly told him. "There's a flight with open seats tomorrow night, do you think you could make it?"

"Well I could, but I'd have to return my tickets for a flight to Orlando tomorrow morning. That just seems counter productive."

Her eyes widened and she could practically hear his smirk, "You what?"

"I was planning on surprising you, but you kind of ruined it," He said with a chuckle.

"You are the best boyfriend ever," Kelly gushed.

"I know."

She rolled her eyes and laughed, "Maybe some time this week we can double with Ella and Colby."

"…yeah, maybe."

Kelly's brow furrowed, "Why don't you sound excited?"

She heard him sigh, "Honestly?"

"Wouldn't have it any other way," She told him.

"Something about Colby just seems…off to me."

"Off? I don't see why. He's a perfectly nice guy," Kelly told him.

"I don't know. He just bothers me that's all," Andy said simply. "But if you really want to double date I'll do it for you and Ella."

"Really?" Kelly asked with a smile.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna like it," He told her honestly.

"As long as you pretend I'll be happy."

"Good, I can do that," Andy promised.

* * *

Ella felt like everyone was avoiding her, and she didn't know why. As far as she knew she hadn't done anything wrong. Was it Colby? She was under the impression that everyone but Shane liked Colby. So why would they be avoiding _him_? They were currently taking a lap around the backstage area before Ella had to be back in her dressing room to get ready for her sound check.

"Where do you think everyone is?" Colby asked her.

She sighed and shrugged, "I don't know. I mean I guess Nate, Shane, and Jason are getting ready for their sound check. They go on first."

"Ah, well then I guess Caitlyn would be busy with that as well," Colby agreed.

"Probably, but I can't imagine where Torrey, Kelly, Chevy, and daddy are."

He shrugged, "It's okay, I'll just see them later."

"Well, I've got to go get ready for the show," Ella told him. "Are you gonna be okay in the VIP section by yourself?"

He smiled at her, "I'll manage. Have a good show."

Ella grinned at him, "I always do."

The couple went their separate ways and as Ella rounded the corner she spotted Shane, "Shane!"

He turned and smiled, "Hey, Ella, what's up?"

"Where is everybody? Colby's here and he wanted to say hello, but we couldn't find anyone," Ella told him. Shane's eyes widened and he looked away. How was he going to answer that without giving away Nate's secret love for Ella? In an effort to support Nate they had all been avoiding the new couple. They hadn't planned it, but Shane guessed that the rest of the group was thinking like him. Plus, the guy bothered Shane. He always had.

"It's almost show time, Ella," He told her. "Everybody's getting ready or checking in with people before we go on stage."

"That's what I told Colby, but it just seemed really suspicious," Ella said warily. "Are you sure that's all it is?"

Shane shrugged, "That's my best guess. It's not like we're all _trying_ to avoid the two of you. That would be ridiculous."

She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, "Nothing's ridiculous for this crowd."

"Ella, really, we're all just super busy getting ready for the show," Shane repeated.

"Okay, I'll buy it. For now," Ella sighed. "I don't have a lot of time to debate it right now anyway. Have a good show, Shane."

He laughed awkwardly, "Yeah, you too."

Shane turned and his face quickly took on a panicked expression. She definitely didn't buy that. Why was he such a bad liar? That last line about her suspicions being ridiculous had been too much. He should have stopped while he was ahead. Hopefully, Ella would let it go. They would all just have to be less obvious in their partiality toward Nate. Which, for Shane…and Nate, was going to be a very big problem.

Shane entered the green room he shared with Jason and Nate and shut the door.

"We have a problem," He told his band mates. "We all have to stop avoiding Ella and Colby."

"What?" Nate asked with a wince. "You guys have been avoiding them too? We can't ALL avoid them. Ella will be _pissed_."

"She's already getting suspicious," Shane informed them.

Jason sighed, "Okay, I'll get Caitlyn and Chevy to go sit with him tonight then. And then later on I suppose Caity and I will go out and have drinks with them or something. That should help right? I mean, it ruins my making out plans, but it should make our bias less clear right?"

"Right," Shane agreed. "I'm glad you're volunteering because if I had to truly socialize with the guy I might end up punching him in the face."

Nate rolled his eyes, "You really need to get over that thing he had with Mitchie. It was a long time ago, and she didn't even like him that way."

"Says the guy who has locked himself in his dressing room all night," Shane scoffed.

"Okay, my situation is very different. Colby is actually actively pursuing my crush or object of affection or whatever the hell you want to call it," Nate sighed.

"Still, Nate, Shane has a point. If you're not going to make a move then you can't avoid Ella. She'll get upset. As much as the girl fights it she's gotten pretty attached to you," Jason told his youngest friend honestly.

He huffed, "I know. Believe me, I know, and I'm dreading it."

Shane's phone rang and he quickly answered it, "Hello?"

He smiled brightly, "Hey, Mitch, where are you? Awesome, Are you, Lola, and Peggy okay to get to your seats? Good, where are you sitting tonight? I need to know where to project my hotness…are you laughing at me? I can SO project my hotness! Stop laughing, Mitchie."

Nate and Jason rolled their eyes as Shane wandered over to the opposite corner.

* * *

Mitchie led the group to their seats in the VIP sections. Her eyes widened as she realized her seat was next to Colby. Oh no, she had to switch with someone. She looked to the girls behind her and realized Peggy was already flirting with Chevy. Caitlyn had forced Chevy to talk to Peggy on the phone. They hit it off right away, and were glad to get to talk in person. Lola had squeezed in between Barron and Sander, and Caitlyn was sitting on the other side of Colby with her eyes widened too. They both knew that this was bad. Shane was going to flip. Maybe Mitchie would get lucky and Shane wouldn't be able to see her past the lights.

"Mitchie!" Colby greeted her happily. Mitchie smiled and reached out to shake his hand but Colby pulled her into a tight hug instead. Mitchie laughed awkwardly and pulled away.

"It's great to see you again too, Colby," Mitchie said as she sat down.

"It's been too long," He told her. "The last time I saw you was at our last Final Jam."

"Yeah, imagine that," Mitchie said as she took a deep breath. "So, I hear you're seeing Ella?"

Colby grinned, "Yeah, you know it's difficult with the tour and all, but I like her. She's sweet."

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow at that, and gave Mitchie a confused glance. What did that mean?

"She's sweet? No offense, Colby, but that sounds like you're talking about your long lost cousin or niece or something," Caitlyn told him bluntly.

His eyes widened, "No, that's not what I—I mean we just haven't had that much time alone to get to know each other. I really like her, and I want to learn more about her. That's what I mean."

Mitchie and Caitlyn dropped the subject, but his original answer still seemed odd.

"So, what about this new job Ella told us about?" Caitlyn asked pleasantly.

"Oh, you know, this guy I know works for a magazine, and he's asked me to blog on the website," He said with a nod.

"Oh cool, what magazine?" Mitchie asked.

"Um, 'Musician's Monthly' it's a small magazine. He started it just a few months ago," Colby told them.

"I didn't know you were into writing or blogging?" Caitlyn asked.

Colby chuckled, "Mac got me into it from back in the day."

Caitlyn's face dropped, "Back in the day as in his tabloid 'anonymous source' back in the day?"

"What? No! After that. Don't you remember that Camp Rock blog he started after all of that? I used to write a feature for it, and that's how I got into writing," He told them quickly.

"Good, because that last thing any of us needs is someone selling our secrets to the tabloids," Caitlyn said with a steely glare. She needed to make sure he understood her point.

"I completely agree," Mitchie said with a shake of her head. "I think the only reason most of us forgave Mac was because he didn't intend for the information he gave his editors to be used the way it was."

"Right," Colby nodded in agreement.

"What are they talking about?" Lola whispered to Baron. He was sitting next to Mitchie and was subtly listening in.

"Colby's new job. He's writing, apparently," Baron told her.

"Music?" Sander asked.

"No, actual words. You know like prose," Baron corrected him.

"Like actual news articles?" Peggy asked as she leaned in.

"Apparently," Baron answered.

"Are they talking about my sister?" Chevy whispered. It was passed across the group to Baron.

"They were. He called her sweet."

"Sweet? Who is he? My great aunt Lois?" Chevy asked when the answer reached him. Peggy chuckled at him.

"Maybe he was afraid anything else would be inappropriate?" Peggy suggested.

"I understand that, but 'sweet?' I mean there are lots of better words that describe my sister."

"Well, Ella is sweet or was when we were friends," Peggy said sadly.

"Peggy, I think…Ella wants to be your friend, but—"

"I know, she can't forgive me just yet. I didn't expect her too. I didn't act like the best friend I claimed to be, but she seems pretty okay with everyone else," Peggy said with a sigh.

"She wasn't as close to them as she was to you," Chevy reminded her. "Just give her a little time."

"But that's the hard part. Giving her time," Peggy told him honestly.

He smiled softly at his new friend, "It'll work out, you'll see."

"I hope so. I really hope so," Peggy said as the lights went down and the concert started.


	17. Chapter 17

Go Figure

By angellwings

_

* * *

_

_Chapter Seventeen_

* * *

Colby charged Ella after the show and swung her around, "The concert was amazing!"

She laughed as he set her down, "Good!"

Ella looked around as the group that had come to see the show made their way backstage, "Where's my brother?"

"He took Peggy out to dinner," Mitchie said with a grin as she leaned against the wall next to Colby and Ella. Ella's mouth formed a frown.

"Oh."

"He said to tell you that he would see you at the hotel later," Mitchie told her.

"Okay, thanks Mitch," Ella said as she forced a smile.

"Not a problem, Ella."

"Hey!" Caitlyn said happily as she approached Colby, Ella, and Mitchie. "Nate, said Ella Pador and the Times is looking for a manager."

Ella smiled at Caitlyn, "Yep, got any good suggestions?"

"Yeah, me!"

"You?" Ella asked. "You want to manage us?"

"Yep, I've got all the right connections and I am familiar with the talent," Caitlyn chuckled.

"Have you talked to Chevy about this?" Ella asked.

Caitlyn nodded, "He said it was up to you."

"Hell, yeah, Caity!" Ella squealed excitedly as she rushed Caitlyn with a hug. Caitlyn laughed and hugged her in return.

"Good, I'll be going to LA with you all at the end of the week then."

"This is going to be awesome!" Ella exclaimed happily.

"What's going to be awesome?" Shane asked as he, Nate, and Jason approached the group. Shane gave Colby a quick tense once over before slipping an arm around Mitchie's waist.

"Caitlyn's the band's manager!" Ella said brightly. Nate smiled at her. In this moment she was acting like the old Ella. Ella turned to Nate and hugged him quickly, "That was a brilliant idea, Nate. Thank you!"

When she pulled away Colby pulled her quickly back to his side. Ella furrowed her brow and gave him a confused glance. Nate cleared his throat and smiled at her, "It just made sense that's all. Caitlyn's brilliant when it comes to planning and management."

"So, what's everyone up to now?" Jason asked the group.

"Mitchie and I have dinner reservations." Shane announced. Mitchie gave him a surprised smile.

"We do?"

"I haven't seen you in weeks, of course we have dinner reservations. What kind of a boyfriend do you think I am?" He asked in a playfully offended tone.

She laughed and patted his cheek, "The best kind."

"Song writing session for me," Nate told them all. Ella's brow furrowed and she pouted at him.

"You're staying in? By yourself?" She asked in concern.

He smiled weakly at her, "Don't worry about me, El. I'll be fine."

"Listen, Ella, why don't you and Colby come out with me and Caitlyn for drinks?" Jason offered.

"Oh, we can't." Colby announced suddenly. Ella turned sharply and gave him a curious glance.

"Why not?" Ella asked.

"I've got something I want to show you," He said with a gentle smile. "It's a surprise."

Her face brightened, "A surprise? For me?"

He chuckled, "No, a surprise for Mac. Of course, it's a surprise for you."

Nate had to turn his head to keep the group from seeing his scowl.

"Aw, well that's sounds fun," Caitlyn said a little too quickly. Nate could tell she was trying to keep the relief from showing in her voice. "Call us if you change your mind."

"We'll do that," Ella said with a satisfied smile.

"C'mon, babe, let's get out of here," Colby said as he gently tugged Ella behind him.

"See you later, guys!" She yelled over her shoulder.

Jason waited until Colby and Ella were out of ear shot, "To think I stooped to invite that guy out for drinks and he turned me down."

"Thank goodness," Caitlyn said with a relieved sigh. "Something about him just rubs me the wrong way."

Mitchie nodded, "I know what you mean. He's not the same guy I knew at camp. He's seems less…innocent now. I mean I know we've all grown up but back then he seemed so much more..."

"Tender hearted?" Caitlyn asked.

"Yes! Exactly. He's very different now, and I can't quite put my finger on why," Mitchie said thoughtfully.

"Should we be worried?" Shane asked.

"Should we be worried? I've BEEN worried since he suddenly showed up again," Nate told them all honestly.

Caitlyn patted Nate's shoulder, "You know, I'm probably going to need some help managing the band. I mean my schedule pretty full as it is, and you've pretty much been their unofficial manager for a long—"

"Caity, no."

"Why not? You need a distraction! And this way you can still spend time with Ella," Caitlyn argued with a stomp of her foot.

He sighed, "Would that really be a distraction though?"

"If it's not enough of a distraction you can insist on producing their demo, and that should definitely do the trick," Caitlyn pointed out.

"Fine, you've got a deal," Nate said as he shook Caitlyn's hand.

"Good, we start tomorrow."

His eyes widened, "Tomorrow?"

"Yes, since they're going to be in L.A. in a couple of days we might as well book them a gig in addition to recording don't you think? Get their name out there and all of that?"

"That's a lot to pack into one weekend, Caitlyn."

She waved his concern off, "They can handle it. I believe in them."

"I believe in them too, but that's a lot of work."

Jason shoved Nate lightly, "Think of this way, the busier Ella is the less time she has to spend with Colby."

Nate grinned, "I like the sound of that."

Jason laughed, and wrapped his arms around Caitlyn's midsection from behind her, "I thought you would. Now let's go, Caity, you promised me a make out session."

Shane and Nate groaned. Shane shook his head and spoke up, "T. M. I. Dude, TMI."

"Well, I think I'm gonna go too. I've been working on this new song for a while now that I really want to finish," Nate told the couple that was left. Mitchie gave him a gentle smile.

"Let me guess, it's for Ella?"

"How did you know?" He asked.

"Your eyes kind of did this soft, gooey thing. It was adorable," She chuckled.

He blushed, "That's mildly embarrassing."

"No, Nate, it's nice. It's been a while since I've seen you like this. I like this Nate," Mitchie told him as she squeezed his arm reassuringly.

"I'm beginning to remember why I try to avoid this," He sighed.

"Come on, you've been over Tess for a while now. It's about time you moved on," Mitchie said in a soft supportive tone. "And for the record, I think you'd be much better for Ella than Colby. So don't give up."

He gave Mitchie a friendly smile and a hug, "I don't plan to, Mitch."

"Good, and if I haven't said so before…Tess is an idiot," Mitchie told him with a teasing smile.

"You've said so, on many an occasion," Nate chuckled.

"Alright, alright, let go of my girlfriend before we're late for our reservations," Shane said as he stepped between Nate and Mitchie.

"We'll see you later, man. Are you actually going to show Ella this song yourself or…"

"It's another Thomas Cole original."

"Dude…" Shane said in a scolding tone.

"I'll tell her when the time is right, man. I promise," Nate said honestly.

Shane sighed, "Okay. I'll hold you to that."

* * *

Ella smiled as Colby led her into a restaurant in Orlando. She wasn't sure where they were but it was certainly posh. It looked very expensive. Her smile faltered…this really wasn't her kind of place. Ella squirmed on her side of the booth. It was too up right and not cushioned enough. It was awkward to sit in and made her even more uncomfortable.

She leaned forward and whispered to Colby, "Can you afford this place?"

"Don't worry about it, El, it's fine," He reassured her.

"It's Ella," She corrected him.

"Oh, sorry, I heard Nate call you that earlier…I just thought—"

"Nate calls me that against my will, Colby," Ella said with a grin.

And he's the only one who's allowed to, she thought to herself.

"Ella?" a familiar voice called. Ella's eyes widened and she slowly turned to find a stiletto wearing, thin as a rod Tess Tyler smiling at her. This smile unnerved Ella. It was that cat that ate the canary smile that usually meant something evil was about to happen.

"Tess? What are you doing here?" Ella asked in surprise.

"I was at the concert! Your dad's band is amazing, and Connect Three…well they're always wonderful aren't they?" Tess asked as she sat herself down next to Ella in the booth. This was weird, Ella thought, she and Tess hadn't spoken since Ella quit working for her.

"Yeah, yeah they are," Ella said slowly. She was still trying to figure out what this was about.

"So, um, how's Nate?" She asked coyly. Ella tensed. So that's what this was about? Tess wanted to get back together with Nate. Ella felt her fists clench. She and Nate hadn't talked about Tess, but she had witnessed the whole thing from Tess's side. Tess had gotten better after that first summer it was true, but the minute she entered the professional world that old cut throat Tess Tyler was back with a vengeance. Her first victim had been Nate. She was terrible to him.

Ella damn sure wasn't going to let that happen again.

"He's great, doing really well," Ella told her brightly. "Very, very happy."

Without you, she added silently.

"Oh," Tess answered simply. "Is he…seeing anyone?"

Ella paused for a moment. She couldn't say no. Tess would attack, but Nate wasn't really seeing anyone. Ella took a deep breath and made a split second decision.

"Yes! Actually, he's seeing a good friend of mine."

Colby gave Ella a curious look, "He is?"

"Oh, who?" Tess asked.

"Torrey!" Ella blurted out quickly. "That's right he's seeing my friend Torrey. She's one of Headline's back up singers."

"I didn't know that!" Colby exclaimed.

Ella shot him a silencing glare, "Yeah, it's relatively new, but they're very happy."

"New?" Tess grinned wickedly.

Ella inwardly groaned. All that lying for nothing. She had just ruined it.

"I'd like to meet this friend of yours. I'm sure she's just adorable," Tess cooed. "Here's my number." Tess handed Ella a card, "I had to change it after an unfortunate stalking incident. Why don't you pass that along to Nate and tell him to call me. I'll be in touch!"

Tess waved and left abruptly. Ella waited a few minutes before letting out a loud relieved breath, "That was tragic." Ella stared at the card in her hand and promptly ripped it up. She tossed the pieces into the glass bulb that surrounded the table candle, "She's not getting anywhere near Nate."

"What was that about?" Colby asked.

Ella rolled her eyes, "Tess wanting to get her claws back into Nate. Not happening."

"I don't think that's up to you, is it?" Colby asked.

"She's not good for Nate, and he's my friend. It's part of my job to look after him so therefore it is up to me," Ella said defensively.

"Are you sure he's just your friend?" Colby asked suspiciously. Ella glared at him.

"What kind of question is that?"

"You just seem a little jealous that's all."

"Jealous? Of Tess?" Ella laughed. "Maybe I used to be when we were in high school, but these days I feel sorry for Tess. She had her chance with a great guy and SHE gave him up. No, I am not jealous of her."

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel better," Colby told her.

"I'm sorry can you not handle the fact that I think Nate is a great guy?" Ella asked coldly. "It's the truth. Am I not allowed to think my friends are great people?"

"I don't understand this. That night at the club the two of you barely got along, and now you're suddenly best friends?" Colby asked in a raised voice.

"Okay, so he's annoying, smug, and can't mind his own business, but the guy's got a great heart. It just took me a while to see that. That's all. Is that okay with you?" Ella asked as she raised her voice to match his.

"You know I'm not sure if it is," Colby snapped. Ella narrowed her eyes in a glare.

"Well then maybe this," she said as she motioned between the two of them, "Isn't such a good idea."

Ella stood and left the restaurant without another word. On her way out she tried several numbers before realizing everyone was out partying and dancing. She groaned angrily and punched Nate's number into the keypad.

"El? Everything okay?" He asked immediately.

She gulped suddenly. The realization of what just happened hit her. Had she broken up with Colby?

"No. Can you come and pick me up? Please?" She asked.

"I'll be right there. Where are you?"

She glanced down the street, "Um, the corner of Second Street and Elm?"

"Don't move, I'll be right there."

She stood silently for a moment. She was waiting for the tears.

But they didn't come.

This wasn't right. She always cried after a break up, and this was a break up. So, why wasn't she crying?

"Ella," Colby's voice came from behind her. She ignored him and walked further down the street.

"Ella, will you stop?"

She didn't stop. She wasn't sad…she was angry. How dare he think he could tell her who to be friends with!

"Ella!"

She did turn that time, "What?"

"What's going on? Are we…over?" He asked hesitantly.

She thought about it for a second, and took a breath, "Yes, yes we are."

His brow furrowed, "You sound awfully calm and certain."

"I just had an epiphany," She told him. "I'm not crying."

"Um…what?"

"Whenever I go through a break up I always cry. Always," She said simply. "I'm not crying."

"So we're not breaking up?"

"Oh no, we're totally breaking up. What I mean is…I don't feel for you what I thought I did. A relationship with you is, well, a great idea but that's all it is. This flirtation we have is as far as it will ever go," Ella told him honestly. "I'm sorry."

Colby reached out took a hold of her elbow as she turned away from him. He spun her back around.

"What are you doing?" Ella asked. He looked very angry, and Ella had to admit she was a little scared. Colby's eyes flickered to something behind her and Ella barely had time to register that fist flying through the air before it collided with Colby's face. Ella let out a small scream and jumped backwards as a curly haired blur punched Colby a second time. Her eyes widened.

"NATE! Stop!" She yelled. Nate froze with his fist poised over Colby's face and let go of his collar. He turned to Ella and gave her an apologetic glance.

"Are you okay?" Nate asked.

Colby suddenly stood and reached out for Nate. Ella's eyes widened, "Nate, look out!"

He automatically turned and ducked Colby's punch. Colby stumbled and fell to the ground. Photographers had started to gather and Ella grabbed Nate's arm, "Nate, we have to go. Now."

He nodded and put a hand on the small of her back as they jogged to the SUV Nate had borrowed from security. He opened Ella's door quickly and ran around and jumped into the driver's side. They sped away hastily.

"I…can't believe I just did that," Nate said is shock.

"Neither can I," Ella said with a shake of her head. "What were you thinking?"

"Ella, he had a death grip on your elbow and looked like he was about to murder you. What was I supposed to do?" Nate asked.

"I don't know, but did it have to include fists?"

"It was instinct, okay? I wasn't really thinking at all," He told her with a sigh. "I just wanted to get you out of there."

She smiled warmly at him, "Well, I can't say I wasn't a little relieved to see you. I'd never seen Colby that angry before."

"What the hell happened anyway?" He asked.

"We, um, broke up."

His eyebrows flew upward, "You did?"

"He insinuated that he didn't want me to be friends with you, and I told him that if that's the way he felt about it then he could just forget about us," Ella told him hesitantly.

If it was possible Nate's heart jumped into his throat. She had broken up with Colby because of him! It wasn't quite what he had pictured, but it was close enough, "Are you okay?"

"Surprisingly…yes," Ella said with a small smile. "I didn't quite feel for Colby what I thought I did. If I had really thought something was going to work out with him I'd be more upset right now, wouldn't I?"

"I'd say so," He agreed. "So, what started this argument anyway?"

Ella bit her bottom lip. Should she tell him about Tess?

"It was actually a someone not a what," She said slowly.

"Who?"

"Tess," Ella sighed.

"Tess? You saw Tess? Tonight?" Nate asked with worry.

"She wants to get back together with you, apparently," Ella said flatly. "That would be a HORRIBLE mistake, by the way."

He grinned softly at Ella, "I know. I'm not tempted even a little bit."

She blinked at him in surprise, "You're not?"

"No, Tess is in the past and that's all there is to it. I learned my lesson, El. Trust me on that one," He told her as he reached over and squeezed her hand lightly.

"Good, I think I might have to physically hurt someone if the two of you got back together," Ella said honestly.

Nate smiled, "I'd like to see that actually."

She chuckled, "Shut up."

"So you saw Tess and then what?" Nate asked.

"She gave me her card to pass along to you, and I ripped it up and threw into the candle that was on the table."

Nate laughed, "Seriously?"

"Well, I certainly wasn't going to give it to you," Ella said. "And then Colby accused me of being jealous which I told him was ridiculous because I wasn't jealous of Tess. I feel sorry for her. She's an idiot for hurting you. And then he asked if you and I were really just friends and pretty much told me to stop hanging out with you so I left."

"Which is when Colby came after you?" Nate asked.

"Yes, he asked if we were really over and I told him we were, and then you punched him. That was basically it," Ella said finally.

"Well, you've had a busy night," Nate observed.

She sighed, "The tabloids are going to have us all over their covers again."

"Yes, but this time it's my fault. I shouldn't have punched him—"

"Maybe not, but you did and you can't change it," Ella told him with a supportive smile. "We'll deal with it."

"So what are your plans now that your big date is ruined?" Nate asked.

"Hang out with you?" She asked hopefully.

He nodded and smiled, "Sounds good to me. Actually, I…have a song I'd like you to hear."

"You do?" She asked eagerly.

"It's for you…to sing," He told her hesitantly. "I'll play it for you when we get back to the hotel if you want."

"I would be disappointed if you didn't," She said happily. "You really wrote me a song?"

He nodded, "I really did."

"Well, hurry up and get us back to the hotel!" Ella demanded excitedly.

He laughed, "I'm trying."

"I can't believe you wrote me a song!" She gushed.

"Let's just hope you like it," Nate said nervously as his hands tightened on the steering wheel.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: **So it's been a REALLY long time since I updated this story! I've had this chapter sitting on my computer (and several other chapters) for a LONG time. I was just hoping to write more and get further ahead before I started posting them. Anyway, here's Chapter Eighteen. I fully intend to finish this story. It's one of my favorite things I've ever written. Enjoy! Oh and the song in this chapter is **"Maybe" by Kelly Clarkson**.

* * *

Go Figure

By angellwings

Chapter Eighteen

* * *

"Okay, um, you can sit there," Nate said as he motioned to the extra bed in his room. "Just let me get my guitar and I'll play the song for you."

"Are you okay?" Ella asked with an amused grin. "You seem kind of nervous."

"I'm just not sure if the songs finished or even good," He lied.

"Nate, I don't know if you realize this…but your songs are always great," Ella chuckled. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

He gave her a small smile, "Thanks."

He grabbed his guitar from the corner of the room and sat down on his bed directly across from Ella. He cleared his throat before he started strumming. His voice was soft and heartfelt as he sang.

"_I'm strong, but I break.  
I'm stubborn, and I make plenty of mistakes.  
Yeah, I'm hard,  
And life with me is never easy,  
To figure out, to love.  
I'm jaded, but oh so lovely.  
All you have to do is hold me,  
And you'll know and you'll see just how sweet it can be.  
If you'll trust me, love me, let me,  
Maybe, maybe."_

Ella already loved it. The melody was simple and hauntingly beautiful, but most importantly for her, it was real. She felt an immediate connection to this song. The last time she had felt this attached to a song was when Andy and Chevy had played "Falling Down" for her for the first time. This was a song Ella would be proud to sing.

"_Someday,  
When we're at the same place,  
When we're on the same road,  
When it's okay to hold my hand,  
Without feeling lost,  
Without all the excuses,  
When it's just because you love me, you let me, you need me,  
Then maybe, maybe._

_All you have to do is hold me,  
And you'll know and you'll see just how sweet it can be,  
If you'll trust me, love me, let me.  
Maybe, maybe."_

As he went on to sing the second verse Ella was suddenly struck with how _beautiful_ Nate was, and she knew he probably wouldn't think it was complimentary to be called beautiful but that's what he was. She wasn't strictly talking about his looks either. No, when she said beautiful she was referring to all of him. Inside and Out. He was fiercely loyal, sarcastic, compassionate, thoughtful, stubborn, caring, and protective. Everyone in his life was fortunate to be there.

He took great care in selecting _true_ friends. The people that he knew would honestly care about and protect him were the people he kept around. Which was why Ella didn't understand how Tess could hurt him. Nate had been better to her than any of the rest of them. He had truly cared about her, and Tess just let that go. Instead of treasuring all that Nate was willing to do for her Tess gave him up for a more famous (and less interesting) actor. Ella was certain her decision to lie to Tess earlier had been the right one.

Nate deserved to know his loyalty was returned.

"So, what do you think?"

Ella beamed at him as she brought her attention away from his strumming hands to his nervous face, "It's beautiful. You wrote that for me?"

He nodded wordlessly.

"I love it. Any chance the band could record it this weekend? Mr. Producer and Co-manager?"

He blinked and blushed, "How did you hear about that?"

"Caitlyn texted me while Colby and I were on the way to the restaurant. That's awesome! I mean, you've already done so much for all of us you really didn't have to step it up like that."

"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to," He answered honestly. "You guys have a great sound and I think you've got a great future in the music industry. It's not a problem, and besides you're all my friends and I like to help my friends."

Ella smiled softly at him, "I know you do, but you make it impossible for your friends to pay you back."

"That's the point of being a _friend_. You don't have to," Nick smirked.

She chuckled, "Well, you have to give other people a chance to be a _friend_ in return you know. Friendships go both ways, Nate."

"You think so?" He asked.

She sighed, "Look I know I'm not the same Sunny Ella I used to be, but that's one opinion of mine that hasn't ever changed. Friendships are two way streets. If they're one sided they never work."

He gave her a soft, sad smile, "That's what happened with all of us, wasn't it?"

She nodded, "For a while we would all still hang out, but ONLY if I made the arrangements. I had to seek out all of you, and the burden of keeping up the relationship was all on me. It got to a point where none of you ever called me. No matter how much I gave or cared it was just…all me. That's tiring and disappointing after a while. I'm just glad I still had Lola and the guys. I don't want to know what would have happened if they hadn't been there going through the same thing."

"I know I've told you this before, but it shouldn't have happened."

"Nate, it's okay. You and I were never really that close before anyway. I mean I could understand why I drifted away from you and Shane. I never really talked to the two of you that much, and Mitchie and Caitlyn and Jason I could understand too. You were all part of your own inner circle of our larger circle. It's no big deal, it's just the way things were, but it was Peggy that got to me the most. Best Friends aren't supposed to just disappear. They aren't supposed to move on to bigger and better things and then just FORGET you ever existed," Ella said in a sad thoughtful tone.

"It won't happen again."

Ella nearly jumped at the certainty in his tone. She knew he was referring to himself. There's no way he could answer for Peggy. His tone just sounded so determined that she would never be put in that position again. When she looked up and found his eyes she saw that same determination there too. Ella was positive that Nate would be around for a long time. He mistook her silence for doubt and continued talking.

"I'm serious. As long as I'm around you'll never be forgotten. Never," He promised. Ella's lips curved into a soft smile, and she moved to sit beside Nate on his bed. She placed his guitar to the side and wrapped her arms around his neck. Their first hug had been a desperate communication of feelings they couldn't verbalize, the second had been an expression of excitement, and this one…this was contact for the sake of contact. A way for Ella to let Nate know that he would never be forgotten either, and that he was becoming more and more important to her as the days wore on.

Nate chuckled, "We're becoming very huggy lately."

Ella laughed, "Sometimes you're just too sweet for words, that's all."

"Hey, I wasn't complaining. Personally, I think hugs are very nice," He said teasingly.

She very lightly swatted the back of his head, "Are you flirting with me, Nate Black?"

"Me? Flirt? Have you ever known me to flirt?"

"No, but that doesn't mean it can't happen," Ella smirked as she leaned back with her arms still around Nate's neck to look him in the eye.

"Well, if I was flirting it's not like you could blame me for trying." He said with a smirk of his own.

"Of course not, I'm very attractive," Ella smiled with a wink.

"Oh, the modesty. How do you stay so down to earth, Ella Pador?" He asked sarcastically.

"Oh, I have a great group of people who tease me mercilessly," Ella answered with a grin. "It does wonders for the humility."

He laughed at her and shook his head, "I know what you mean. So, Ms. Pador, what are you doing now?"

"Going to back to my room and trying NOT to think about what's going to be in the tabloids tomorrow, I guess. What about you?" Ella asked.

"I thought about watching a movie. Want to join me? It might keep you from dwelling on the tabloids," Nate suggested as he picked up his remote.

Ella shrugged, "Why not? It's better than waiting anxiously for my dad's manager to call and bless me out."

"Let me know if he does. I've been itching for a reason to give that guy a piece of my mind," Nate said tensely as he flipped through the channels on the television. Ella gave him an amused smile and she watched him as he leaned back on the head board of his bed.

Ella casually scooted back until she was seated next to him and leaning against the headboard beside of him, "Why are you so protective of me?"

Nate paused his channel surfing and turned to face her, "Honestly? I'm not really sure. I just don't like it whenever people try to belittle you. You don't deserve that."

She nodded, "I can understand that. It's kind of like me with Tess earlier tonight."

Nick grinned and slid his eyes over to Ella, "What did you do?"

"Well, I might have told her you had a girlfriend when she asked if you were seeing someone," Ella said hesitantly.

He laughed, "Who did you tell her I was seeing? If I know Tess she would have tried to poke holes in whatever you told her."

"I told her you were seeing Torrey."

"Torrey?" He said with a rolling laugh. "You told her I was seeing Torrey?"

"Yeah, but then I ruined it by telling her it was a 'new' thing for you."

Nick winced, "Yeah, she's gonna try and destroy Torrey now."

Ella's eyes widened and she smacked her forehead, "I didn't even think about that! I just fed one of my best friends to the sharks! I was just trying to keep her away from you."

Nick's eyes widened and he smirked at Ella, "What was that?"

She chuckled nervously, "Did I say that out loud?"

"Yes, you certainly did."

"All I meant was—I thought that I would—Oh who am I kidding? I couldn't stand the thought of her being anywhere near you," Ella sighed. "She was trying to be her overly nice fake self and pump me for information, and all I kept thinking about was how I was going to keep her from going after you again. If we hadn't been in such a public place I think I would have yanked out all of her pin straight blonde hair."

Nate laughed again, "I appreciate that more than you know, but trust me when I say that Tess isn't worth that. She could be the absolute last woman on Earth and I still wouldn't get back together with her."

"So you and Tess are completely over?" Ella asked.

"As far as I'm concerned we are," Nate told her firmly. "She betrayed my trust. She played me. When I was with her she put up this kind and caring façade but I know that when I left she was probably laughing at how much of a fool I was. I wouldn't go through that again for the world."

"I don't think anyone would _let_ you go through that again. I saw it from the other side and it wasn't any less annoying," Ella told him. "At that point I had started to have a grudge against you guys and even I wanted to punch her lights out."

"You know, you really haven't changed that much, Ella," Nate told her with a smile. "True you have a wounded edge now, and I hate to say that I'm part of the reason for that, but for the most part you're still the same."

"I'm more like that Old Ella now than I was before all of this started," Ella agreed. "Just ask Lola. I'm sure she'll tell you. What time is it?"

"11:42 pm," Nate said as he looked at his watch. "We still have about 3 hours until any one gets back."

"So…movie?" Ella asked. "Can we watch something with explosions? I'm not in the mood for romance tonight."

"Fine with me," Nate agreed. "They've got 'Velocity Overkill' on pay per view. Does that work for you?"

"Is that the one with the car jumping over a car that's jumping over _another_ car?" Ella asked thoughtfully.

Nate nodded, "That's the one."

"Sounds perfect," Ella agreed.


	19. Chapter 19

Go Figure

By angellwings

_Chapter Nineteen_

There was a knock on Nate's door early the next morning, and he groggily opened his eyes to find his arms wrapped around something soft and warm. His eyes snapped open and he suddenly realized his arms were wrapped around _Ella_. He slowly and carefully crawled out of his bed and answered the door. He cracked the door open to see Caitlyn and Chevy on the other side.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" Nate asked in a low voice.

"Have you seen Ella?" Chevy asked.

"No one's heard from her since she left with Colby last night," Caitlyn told him.

"Yeah, she's fine," He said in that same low whisper.

Caitlyn raised an eyebrow at him, "Why are you whispering?"

"Because Ella's sleeping," He answered sheepishly.

Caitlyn's jaw dropped, "Ella's with you?"

"In your hotel room?" Chevy asked with a glare.

"Nothing happened," Nate assured him. "I picked her up outside of the restaurant Colby took her to and then we came back here to hang out and watch a movie. That's it."

"You picked her up? Colby didn't bring her back here?" Caitlyn asked.

"There were complications," Nate said vaguely.

"Dude!" Shane shouted as he came out of his room and approached Caitlyn, Chevy, and Nate as the stood in Nate's hotel room door.

Nate motioned for Shane to speak softly, and Shane gave him a strange look, "Why?"

"Ella's still sleeping," Caitlyn smirked.

Shane grinned and his eyes widened, "Um, what?"

Nate sighed and rubbed his brow, "We fell asleep while watching a movie last night."

"You mean after you beat the crap out of Colby?" Shane asked with a grin.

Nate groaned, "How did you hear about that?"

"Every tabloid in the hotel store downstairs has the same picture on the cover. It's your fist flying toward Colby's face with Ella looking on in horror," Shane told him. "It's really awesome. I'm thinking about buying one and having that picture laminated. It's priceless."

"Oh man," Nate sighed. "I guess I'll have to break the news to her when she wakes up."

"Okay, are you going to tell her about the exclusive interview Colby gave them all too?" Shane asked. Nate's eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched.

"What?"

Shane handed him the tabloid paper he had rolled up in his back pocket, "Take a look for yourself. That jerk sold us all out. Apparently, _that_ was his new job."

Caitlyn's brow furrowed, "What does that mean?"

"That magazine he told you and Mitchie he was blogging for is a small gossip tabloid," Shane told them all seriously. "He's been gathering information to write about it in his blog."

"Nate," Chevy said through gritted teeth. "Let me just thank you for punching that jerk when you had the chance."

"My pleasure," Nate sneered as he unrolled the tabloid and read the headline. He blinked and bit the side of his cheek, "Volatile Love Triangle Turns Violent? Oh, Ella is not going to like this."

"Good luck telling her," Caitlyn said sympathetically. "We're going to go get a table in the dining room downstairs for breakfast. See you there?"

Nate nodded just before they all walked away and he closed his door. He turned around to the sight of Ella sleeping peacefully, and instantly regretted what he had to do next. He set the paper down on the night stand and decided to let Ella sleep for a bit longer.

He slowly slipped back into bed, but this time he positioned himself so he was facing Ella's front instead of her back. He gently placed his left arm across her again and was surprised when Ella responded by snuggling into his chest. Nate smiled as she let out a contented sigh in her sleep. He laid there for several minutes just watching her. He wondered briefly if his watching her would be considered creepy, but he just couldn't help it. This was the closest he'd been to Ella for longer than a handful of minutes. It was nice. It felt…comfortable. He hadn't realized that another half hour had passed until he glanced over at the alarm clock on the night stand.

He should probably wake her up. He hated to do it, especially since she seemed so perfectly content, but she had to know what was going on. He closed his eyes and kissed her softly on the forehead before he began to wake her.

"Ella," he whispered as he shook her gently. She mumbled something he couldn't understand so he continued, "It's time to get up."

She brought her hands up to her face and covered her eyes, "No…"

He chuckled, "C'mon, you've got to get up."

She removed one hand and opened that eye to look at him as well, "Nate?"

"Yeah?"

"Why am I waking up in your room?"

He considered just being completely straight up with her, but he wanted to see her squirm a little bit.

"Ella, I'm hurt, you don't remember?" He asked as he pretended to be wounded.

Her eyes widened, "Remember what? Nate? What did we do?"

"If you don't remember I'm not going to tell you."

"Nate, seriously, we didn't—did we?" She asked frantically as she sat up and leaned back against the head board. "Did we?"

"And you told me I was special."

Ella froze and then looked up to see the wicked grin spread across Nate's face. She glared at him and smacked him, "You little liar!"

"Ow," He said with a chuckle as he rubbed his shoulder where she smacked him.

"You're evil, just pure unadulterated evil! I was totally freaking out!" Ella said as she smacked him two more times for good measure. He only laughed harder.

"You should have seen your face," He said through his laughter. "It was hilarious."

Ella fought the smile that threatened to take over her mouth at the sound of Nate's laughter. She crossed her arms over her chest in a pout and tried to crawl out of the bed.

"Oh no you don't," Nate said as he reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her back to him. She squealed and wiggled, but it was no use. "You're not going anywhere just yet."

"You're mean, I don't want to talk to you right now," She said as she feigned hurt.

He chuckled, "Liar."

She tried to fight him some more but eventually the one foot she had managed to get onto the floor lost its grip and she fell back onto the bed. Her head landed on Nate's chest and he let out a grunt as air was forced from his lungs at the impact. Ella chuckled vengefully, "Serves you right, jerk face."

"Your skull is awfully solid," Nate said as he tried to catch his breath.

Ella laughed and pulled herself back into a sitting position, "You're the one that grabbed me, Nate Black. Don't blame my skull."

He sat up and leaned against the head board, "So, Caitlyn, Chevy, and Shane were here earlier."

"And?" Ella asked fearfully. She knew what he was going to say.

"The tabloids ran with the photos."

Ella sighed, "Of course they did."

"They also interviewed Colby," Nate said hesitantly.

"What?" Ella asked with a furrowed brow.

He nodded, "I haven't read the article yet but from the sound of what Shane told me he embellished things a lot."

"I can't believe him!" Ella yelled in frustration. "Why would he do that?"

"There's more," Nate said with a sigh.

"More?" Ella asked. "I don't like the sound of that."

"The magazine he was blogging for is a small gossip magazine," Nate told her.

"So, he was…using me? To get information about this tour and the people on it?"

Ella looked crushed, so crushed that it made Nate want to track this guy down and punch him _again_.

"That figures, doesn't it?" Ella asked with a dry laugh. "I feel so stupid."

"El, you're NOT stupid," He told her as he reached out to rub her back. She moved away from his hand and shook her head.

"Nate, this guy has information on me and my family that—some of the things I told him—if they ever came out would crush my dad. I can't believe I let him play me. I should have seen it."

"Ella," Nate said as he scooted forward and placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "You couldn't have known. He had all of us fooled. None of us imagined he would do something like this. And as for whatever you told him, everyone has fears and resentment I'm sure your dad would understand that. From what I can tell the man knows he's not the greatest dad in the world."

Her eyes were glistening with tears when she looked up at him, "I trusted him, Nate. I thought he was my friend."

There was nothing Nate could say to make that simple fact any better so he did what he could. He pulled her in for a hug. The shoulder of his white t-shirt was soon damp from Ella's silent tears. Nate couldn't help thinking that he wanted her to scream, shake, or make some sort of noise. The silence was making his heart break even more for her. Ella apparently didn't sob. She cried silently and sniffled every so often.

"I definitely don't regret punching this guy," Nate muttered into Ella's hair. He heard a soggy laugh in response and that, at least, gave him hope. She was definitely hurt, but that laugh told him that she would survive.

* * *

When Ella finally felt ready she left Nate's room and got dressed to meet the others downstairs for breakfast. After Nate finished getting ready he knocked on Ella's door. She opened it and smiled weakly at him. He slipped a comforting arm around her shoulders as they headed toward the elevator. He really hoped the others didn't make her feel worse. She didn't need to feel ignored but at the same time too much attention would be worse than not enough. She needed to feel supported not pitied.

They entered the dining room and sat down at a large round table with the rest of the group. No one said anything, but Nate was relieved to feel a sense of solidarity. It was something he hadn't realized the group had been missing until just now. Everyone seemed to be giving Ella a concerned stare. Ella looked around the table and gave everyone, even Peggy, a reassuring smile as if to say, "I WILL be okay, eventually."

They all, almost simultaneously, let out a breath they didn't realize they were holding, and then the meal progressed as usual until Jamie approached the table and motioned for Shane to scoot over. Ella was seated in between Nate and Shane. Shane gave the large man a strange look but did as Jamie requested. Jamie pulled up a chair and sat down. He turned to Ella.

"First off, are you okay?"

Ella gave Jamie a small knowing grin and nodded.

"Glad to hear that. Now, you know what's coming right?"

"A lecture?" She asked in a small voice.

He nodded and pulled out the same tabloid Shane had given Nate earlier. Ella still hadn't seen it. She'd been so upset earlier that Nate had forgotten to show it to her.

"This, Ms. Ella, is why I'm around. To take care of little punks who try to manhandle you. That is the sole purpose of my employment. You should have told me you were leaving with this poser. I need to know where you are at the very least, even if I'm not going with you. Then, as soon as you decided to leave you should have called me. If you had done that your picture might not be on that tabloid this morning," Jamie said in a firm yet gentle tone. "Don't misunderstand, I'm glad you knew to call _someone_, and I'm glad the person you called had the good sense to knock this guy's teeth in but next time I better be informed. Are we clear?"

She nodded, "We're clear."

"Good, and until all of this dies down you can bet I'm going with you where ever you decide to go. That's final," Jamie said as he stood up.

Ella nodded again, "Yes, sir."

His stern face softened and he reached down to squeeze her shoulder, "I'm glad you're all right, Ella."

She thanked him as he returned the chair to its proper table and left.

"I like him," Chevy said with a smirk. "He's just a likable guy. He's huge, bald, and likable. Plus I'm fairly certain if he sees Colby again he'll knock him out. That's an important trait to me. It really is."

Ella laughed and gave her brother an amused look. She shook her head and threw her balled up straw wrapper at him, "You're weird."

"Hey!" Chevy exclaimed as the wrapper hit him in the head. "It's on now, brat."

Chevy picked up a paper napkin and began to shred it into pieces and ball them up.

Ella quirked an eyebrow at him, "Oh, are we really gonna do this? Cause if we are, you're so going down."

Nate chuckled and handed Ella a stack of napkins. She thanked him and Chevy glared at him, "Traitor."

"Dude, I'm afraid I was on her side long before I was on yours," Nate told him with a grin.

"Guys," Mitchie whispered. "We're in a public place."

"It's okay if you don't have the skill to play, Mitch," Caitlyn teased. "No one will think any less of you."

Mitchie's jaw dropped and she glared playfully at Caitlyn, "Who said I didn't have the skill?"

"Well, obviously you're afraid to play because you know you'll lose," Caitlyn smirked.

"We'll just see about that. Somebody hand me some napkins."

* * *

**A/N: **Thought I would update before I leave for Florida and start my job with Disney. Enjoy! :)


	20. Chapter 20

Go Figure

By angellwings

_Chapter Twenty_

The group arrived at the arena and was greeted by a large gathering of photographers. They shouted questions about the "Natellby" love triangle. Nate and Ella ignored them, of course, and Jamie teamed up with Connect Three's security to get them all safely through the door without incident. The arena back door closed and Ella shook her head as the shouts were stifled by the big metal door. She turned to Nate.

"Natellby?" She asked him in disbelief.

He chuckled, "On a scale of one to ten?"

"Zero," Ella said as she scrunched up her nose in disgust.

He laughed and quickly agreed.

Headline's manager passed the group and glared at Ella and Nate. Ella shrank away from the man, but Nate glared at him in return. Nate was challenging him to say something, anything, but Eddy kept walking after a moment's hesitation.

"If Eddy didn't hate me before, he sure hates me now," Ella said with a scoff. "Jerk."

Nate shrugged, "He's not your manager so I don't think you need to worry about him. Besides Eddy should worry about keeping your dad's name out of the press, not yours. Your dad gets into more trouble than a majority of the musicians out there. Not to mention that this time around this mess is my fault. I'm really gonna get an earful from Tina."

"Do you need any help talking with her? I would be glad to go with you if you need me to," Ella offered.

Nate smiled warmly at her and shook his head, "I appreciate that, but I'll be okay. Tina is all bark and no bite. Although, her bark can sometimes make your ears bleed. She's like…a big overprotective sister in her own way."

Ella chuckled, "Well, if it makes her feel any better you could tell her you were coming to my rescue."

"I'll do that," He smirked.

"We both probably need to go get ready for sound check," Ella suggested.

"Probably," Nate agreed. "How would you feel about splitting room service of some kind tonight?"

"Sounds delicious," She beamed.

"Great, you can meet me at my room after the show and we'll have dinner. Maybe we'll watch another movie," He told her.

"If we do that I'll probably fall asleep," Ella warned him.

"I don't have a problem with that," Nate said with a wink. "See you after the show, El," He called over his shoulder as he walked away.

Ella blushed and watched him go with a grin. Was Nate just flirting with her? She heard Caitlyn chuckle from beside of her. Ella turned to find Caitlyn smirking at her.

"Nate's a bit of a mystery, isn't he?" Caitlyn asked knowingly.

Ella nodded, "I can never really tell what he's thinking, and sometimes he's so serious and then others…he's a big kid. He's like a puzzle that changes constantly."

"This is true, but he's always there when you need him and he's very hard to get rid of," Caitlyn agreed brightly.

"Tell me about it," Ella chuckled. "He's been plastered all over the tabloids twice now because of me and he's still around."

"Do you know why that is?" Caitlyn asked.

"Honestly? No," Ella answered.

"Nate doesn't care what the tabloids say. All he cares about is proving to you that he's a good friend and that there's no way you'll ever be forgotten again. He's made it his personal mission to make everything up to you. It's really very sweet," Caitlyn told her with a warm smile. "I've never seen him like this with any one before so it's a bit of a mystery to me too, Ella."

Ella stiffened, "He's never been like this with anyone before?"

"No," Caitlyn said with a shake of her head. "He used to be very protective of Tess, but that's nothing compared to how protective he is of you. I'd imagine you're also pretty protective of him if I heard the gossip Tess is spreading around accurately."

Ella's eyes widened, "Oh no, what did you hear?"

"Well, apparently after last night Tess is convinced that your dating Colby and Nate's dating, wait for it, Torrey were both cover stories for the two of you dating each other," Caitlyn grinned.

"Where did you hear that?" Ella asked.

"Andy called Kelly to let her know he had boarded his plane and also told her the latest gossip from Tess's back up band. Apparently he still talks to all of those guys."

"I had to tell her something! She had that scheming look on her face and then she asked me about Nate…no way I'm letting her anywhere near him again. Not gonna happen."

Caitlyn gave Ella knowing look, "Yep, see…protective."

"Everybody needs someone to protect them, I think, and even if the opportunity doesn't come up that often at least you know they're willing to," Ella told Caitlyn honestly.

Caitlyn nodded, "I completely agree. C'mon I'll walk with you to your dressing room."

"Nate wrote a song for the band," Ella told her happily as they walked.

"He told you about 'Falling Down' finally, huh?" Caitlyn asked.

Ella froze mid-step, "What? Nate wrote 'Falling Down'?"

"Um…no. No, I thought he might have. Who wrote that song again?" Caitlyn asked as she frantically tried to recover from her slip of the tongue.

"I was told someone named Thomas Cole wrote it," Ella said suspiciously.

"Oh! Right, my bad. I think I got Cole confused with Black."

"Then why did you say 'finally' like it was some big secret?" Ella asked in an unconvinced tone. "I can't believe it. Nate wrote 'Falling Down'? Why didn't he tell me?"

"I think he was afraid you wouldn't sing it. It was right after we had all made amends, and he didn't know if you would be willing to sing one of his songs. He wrote that song for you, Ella, and if you didn't sing it then no one would," Caitlyn told her honestly. "Wait. What song were you talking about?"

"It's called 'Maybe'. He played it for me last night. It's beautiful," Ella said with a dreamy sigh. "I think it should be included in the band's demo. I'm going to have to have a talk with him at dinner. He could have told me about 'Falling Down' if not at first then definitely later. We've been on good terms for a while now."

Caitlyn shrugged, "I suppose you'll just have to ask him."

"Oh, believe me. I will," Ella said in a determined tone as they reached the dressing room she shared with Kelly and Torrey.

"See you later, Ella," Caitlyn said as she headed further down the hall.

Ella nodded and waved to Caitlyn before stepping into her dressing room. She closed the door and looked up to find Kelly and Torrey staring at her expectantly.

"I'm dating Nate?" Torrey asked with a confused look. "Since when? And why is Tess Tyler trashing me in the tabloids? I've never met the chick."

"Why did Nate punch Colby? I mean I don't believe for a second that these tabloids are right. Nate's not the kind of guy to senselessly punch people just for speaking," Kelly added curiously.

Ella hung her head and sighed, "Things with Colby went very wrong last night. I realized that he wasn't the guy for me and he didn't like that too much he grabbed my arm just as Nate showed up to take me back to the hotel and well…Nate punched him. As for Tess, she was asking about Nate like she was suddenly very interested in him again and I needed to get her to back off. I couldn't tell her I was dating him because I was with Colby when I ran into her and you were the second name that came to mind."

"So, she's trashing me because she wants Nate back and she thinks I have him?" Torrey asked.

"Exactly, and according to Caitlyn, Tess thinks we _both_ have him. Don't ask me why."

"Nate was defending you? That's so sweet!" Kelly gushed.

Ella chuckled, "Nate's a sweet guy when he wants to be."

* * *

Nate walked into his dressing room and was immediately greeted with the all too familiar sight of this morning's tabloids. The paper had been shoved in front of his face. He sighed and pushed it aside to find a tall blonde woman in her early forties glaring at him. He had been expecting to talk to Tina, but not in person. Apparently their public relations representative had been sent to Orlando to talk to him. He liked Tina, but he knew this wasn't a good sign.

"Nate, again?" She asked in irritation. "I've been on the phone with the record company all morning. They are not happy."

"I couldn't imagine why they would be," Nate answered grimly as he sat down at the large white vanity table in his dressing room.

"You've been in the tabloids twice now. They think you might be headed down the same road that Sha—"

"I'm not," He snapped. "I didn't enjoy Shane's attitude back then, and I would never put anyone through that."

"Did this Ella girl get into trouble again?" Tina asked.

Nate sighed, "She went on a date with the guy I'm punching in that picture. She decided she didn't really want to date him, and left. She called me for a ride, and when I got there the jackass had a death grip on her arm and she looked frightened. I just snapped. That's all."

"And now this guy is using her secrets to forward his career?" Tina asked knowingly.

Nate nodded, "She thought he was her friend. Hell, even I thought he was her friend, but he proved both of us wrong."

Tina sighed heavily and knew he wasn't going to like her next suggestion, but she had to say it. Her job was to look out for his image and he wasn't going to like or even _think_ about doing what would be best for his image at the moment, "Maybe you should put same space between you and Ella for the time being. I know she's your friend, but with the—"

"No," Nate said simply. "I'm not going to do that. She needs someone she can trust right now. Not to mention, she's just gotten past the last time I 'put some space' between the two of us. I promised her I wouldn't do that again."

"I'm not saying you should stop being her friend, Nate. I'm sure she's a nice girl. I'm saying maybe you should take a break from each other until all of this press dies down," Tina said in a huff. She really did love all three of these guys. They were extremely nice guys, but sometimes that nice-ness made her job difficult.

"I can't do that, Tina. I _won't_ do that," He said in determination.

She nodded and sighed, "I figured as much, but I had to suggest it."

He flashed her a tiny smile, "I know you did. It's your job."

"Can you at least, refrain from being publicly seen together for a few days?" She asked. "Just through Monday."

"That's going to be hard. I'm helping her band record their demo at my house this weekend," Nate told her.

She nodded thoughtfully, "Then just stay away from cameras. That's all I ask."

"That I can do," Nate promised.

"Thank you," Tina said in relief. She flopped down on the cushy armchair behind her, and turned to Nate with a playful smirk. Looked like work Tina had taken a moment off and his friend Tina had decided to make an appearance. "So, are you in love with this girl or what?"

He smiled warmly and thought about how to answer that, "I don't know, but there's definitely _something_ there. I just need her to see that."

"She's not another Tess, is she? Because I heard somewhere that she used to be friends with her, and—"

Nate chuckled, "Ella is practically the complete opposite of Tess. Yes, Ella was Tess's friend at Camp, but from what I've been able to find out she and Ella haven't actually spoken, in detail, for years."

"Apparently she ran into her last night," Tina pointed out.

"Yes, yes she did," Nate chuckled. "But Ella said all Tess did was ask her questions about me."

"Oh lord, she's asking about you again? Do you want to put her on the Persona Non Grata list?" Tina asked.

"No, Tess is selfish, but she's harmless. She can't hurt me if I decide not to let her," Nate said with a grin.

Tina smiled at her young friend, "I'm glad to hear you feel that way. So, are you making an appearance at the after party?"

Nate shook his head, "No, I've got dinner with Ella."

"Nate—"

"Room service at the hotel. I promise, we will stay away from cameras," He told her with a smirk.

"Okay, I'm gonna hold you to that," Tina said with a playful glare. "Well, I'll go and let you get ready for the show. I'll handle the press and get this story cycled out. Hopefully, you'll stay out of the tabloids for a while?"

Nate nodded, "I'm hoping so too."

Tina stood and headed for the door, but paused and turned back to Nate, "This guy you punched…he's really going to plaster Ella's secrets all over the place?"

"He works for a small gossip magazine."

She quirked an eyebrow, "What kind of secrets are we talking about?"

"All I know is that Ella thinks some of the things she said to Colby would 'crush' her dad," Nate told her.

Tina could hear the anger in his voice. He really didn't like the idea of someone betraying Ella's trust. Oh, this boy had it bad.

"So, private family matters then?" Tina asked. Nate nodded. "Well, that's just completely unnecessary. You think your friend would mind if I helped her out?"

Nate's eyes widened and he smiled gratefully at Tina, "I think that would be an amazing idea."

"Good," Tina nodded. "I'll go find her and we'll have a little chat."

Before she closed the door Nate called after her, and she poked her head back in curiously.

"Thanks, I really appreciate this," Nate said sincerely.

"Not a problem, kid," Tina said with a smile as she shut the door behind her.


	21. Chapter 21

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

_ Chapter Twenty-One

* * *

_

The concert had gone really well. The crowd had been huge and had loved every minute of it. The nights when you felt like everyone in the audience supported you and wanted you to succeed were always the best. Nate had left as soon as Connect Three's portion of the concert was over. He wanted to have everything ready for Ella when she arrived. He looked down at his watch, and smiled. The concert ended half an hour ago. Ella should be here any minute. Their dinner was on its way up as well. There was knock on his door and Nate immediately opened it. He smiled at the sight of Ella waiting patiently for him to come to the door.

"Hey," He smiled. "How was your show?"

"It went really well, that crowd tonight was amazing," Ella said as she came in the door. "I talked to Tina tonight."

He nodded, "Tina said she was going to find you. Did she ask about Colby?"

"She said that she would keep an eye on anything that had his name connected to it. She's hoping she can stop a bit of it before it starts," Ella told him. "We also talked about something else…"

His smile faded. He knew what she was talking about. Tina had talked to her about him needing to give Ella some "space." He was suddenly very angry at Tina. He had told her to drop it, but she just couldn't do that.

Ella must have seen his anger because she immediately spoke up, "Nate, you've been in the tabloids for the first two times in your career and they both happen to be because of me—"

"Did Tina say that? Those words exactly?"

"What? No! Tina was very nice about it. She simply said she was a little worried that the press was too fascinated by us at the moment. Don't be mad at Tina. She's just doing her job," Ella told him.

"Yes, but she and I already talked about this. I told her to drop it," Nate sighed.

Ella smiled softly at him, "She told me, and I appreciate that. More than you know."

"I told you I'm not going to let you fade to the background again, and I meant it," Nate reminded her.

"I know," Ella said as she gave him a quick hug. "But I don't want to put you at odds with your record label."

He sighed, "Let me worry about my career, please? If I'm not worried about a little tension with the powers that be then you shouldn't be either."

"I'm not going to think you're forgetting about me, Nate. I'm not saying being away from you for a bit would be easy, but I know you wouldn't be ditching me. I get that," Ella told him.

"But YOU don't get what I'm saying," He snapped. He was plainly frustrated now. He made a promise to Ella, and he was going to keep it. He wouldn't be able to focus on anything if he cut her out of his life, even for just a few weeks. He would be berating himself the entire time. "I can't ignore you for a few weeks. I just can't. I made that mistake once without even realizing it. If I did it again I would never be able to forgive myself. Not even if it was 'for a bit.' My career is important, yes, but my friends should be JUST as important. You can't tell me that my agreeing to stay away from you for a few weeks wouldn't affect your opinion of me. I know you too well for that. You would always be wondering just _how_ important to me you are. You know you would."

Ella tried to protest, but Nate interrupted her.

"I wouldn't be able to deal with causing that doubt in you. It would tear me up. I've worked so hard to show you that leaving you and the others behind was the biggest mistake of my life, and I'm not going to ruin that now," He said. Ella could hear the blatant desperation in his words, but nothing could have prepared her for pleading crack in his voice during is next statement. "Please don't make me do that, Ella. Please."

She swallowed thickly, and blinked back tears that were forming in her eyes. Her friendship was really that important to him? She knew that he enjoyed her company, but she'd had no idea that he felt so strongly about keeping her around. She said nothing but stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his midsection. She rested her head against his chest as he brought his arms up to encircle her back.

"I would never make you do anything you didn't want to do, Nate," Ella promised. "I just didn't want you to resent me for complicating your career. That's all."

She was surprised when she felt one of his hands reach up to stroke her hair. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling. As a matter of fact, it filled her with a warm, safe, sense of comfort. He hugged her tightly as he spoke, "You're far from being a complication."

"I never wanted you to agree to it," She told him softly. "I just didn't want you to see me as an obligation. I don't know what I would do without you around, Nate. The funny thing is I don't even know how that happened, but it did and I need you here with me."

Nate smiled slightly at that. Ella was willing to give him up during her time of need because she thought it was best for him and his career. How had there ever been a time when he wasn't close to her? It mystified him that he had known of her since he was 15 and yet he was just now getting _know_ her. He often wondered what would have happened if they'd kept in touch with her. Would he have come to the same conclusion about her? Would he be so mixed up and in love with her then too?

Love. Huh, for some reason that didn't seem like an odd word to think of when thinking about Ella. He certainly cared for her more than anyone else outside of his own family. And when she had been trying to convince him to follow Tina's advice he'd been filled with a sudden fear. It was a fear that Ella didn't need him around as much as he needed her. That fear had eased as Ella explained her reasons for urging him to make that decision. She had been looking out for him, and he loved her all the more for it. He was content to just stand there holding her for the rest of the night, but room service chose that moment to knock on Nate's door. He reluctantly let go of Ella in order to answer it. Neither of them had really eaten since lunch, and a sudden hunger washed over Nate.

"This better be dinner," Nate told Ella as he opened the door. Sure enough, it was. Ella and Nate stood to the side as the waiter set everything out on the table and then left with his now empty cart. Nate tipped him as he left and then shut the door behind him. He hadn't ordered anything fancy. Just a couple of sandwiches and two large plates of fries. He opened his room's mini fridge and handed Ella one of the Diet Cokes he kept with him at all times. The first thing he did at every stop was stock up his hotel room's refrigerator with cans of Diet Coke. Some people were addicted to cigarettes but, no, Nate was addicted to Diet Coke.

"This looks delicious," Ella said as she sat down and opened her soda.

"I just realized how hungry I truly am," Nate chuckled. "I haven't eaten since twelve o'clock."

"Eleven thirty for me," Ella told him. "We had to take an early lunch because dad was late for his call time again."

"Eleven thirty? Then I better see you eat everything on that plate," He told her sternly.

She gave him an amused look, "Sure thing, _dad_."

He chuckled and stole a fry off of her plate, "Just shut up and eat, Pador."

She swatted his hand and he dropped the fry back onto her plate, "Eat your own food, Black."

"That's racist."

Ella paused and then broke out into a loud laugh. Nate's face had just been so serious and his tone so dry that she couldn't help it. This is what she needed. Just someone she could simply _be_ around. No pressures for anything more and no guilt about anything less.

They sat and ate in silence, but it was a comfortable silence. It gave Ella the opportunity to think about everything that she and Nate had just discussed. How had he become so important to her? When? She had no idea. She tried to think back and pinpoint a particular moment, but there appeared to be no _one_ moment. All she could see were a hodgepodge of memories, from him saving her from herself to the way he was just so completely there for her this morning.

It all came together to build a bond she never wanted to break. There was one thing she still needed him to confess to her. "Falling Down." She needed him to say that the song was his. That he had written it for her to sing. She had finished her sandwich and reached the end of her fries so now seemed like a good time to try and get him to talk about it.

"We're going to be in New York in a couple of weeks, right?" Ella asked casually.

Nate nodded, "We've got two shows there. Why?"

"Well, Chevy's friend that wrote 'Falling Down' apparently lives there. So I thought it would be nice to pay Thomas Cole a visit. What do you think?"

Nick's eyebrows shot upward, "Uh…is that really a good idea?"

"Why shouldn't it be? I mean he wrote me a song, I should probably thank him, right?"

"Well, yeah, but you don't even know where he lives," Nate said as he choked a little on one of his fries.

"You okay?" She asked as he coughed. When he nodded she continued. "Well, if he's a friend of Chevy's then Chevy should know where he lives. I'll just ask him, and I'm sure he won't object to seeing an old friend."

"Are you sure you want to do that? You don't know this guy, he could be a psycho stalker," Nate suggested.

"Have you _met_ Chevy? No way he would be friends with a psycho stalker. None of his friends are ever that—you know what? I actually don't know what his friends are like. I've never met any of them. I'm sure he has them, I just haven't been introduced," Ella told him. "That's it. I'm totally meeting this guy. It is way past time for me to meet at least _one _of my brother's friend—"

"You can't!"

"Can't what?" Ella asked innocently.

"Meet Thomas Cole," Nate sighed.

"Why not?"

"I-He," Nate sighed in resignation. "He's me."

Ella held back her grin, "You're Thomas Cole? So _you_ wrote the song?"

He nodded, "I wrote 'Falling Down.' I wrote it and then had Chevy tell you somebody else did."

Ella smiled at him, "Ha! I knew it!"

He opened his mouth to explain but quickly paused, "You _knew_ it? Wait, you knew that whole time and you were just trying to pry it out of me?"

She smirked at him, "Caitlyn let it slip before the show. I had to know for sure."

He shook his head, "You're evil."

She chuckled, "Only when I have to be, and since you weren't going to tell me about it…a little bit of evil seemed required."

"I was going to tell you…eventually," Nate said with a sigh.

"Sure you were," Ella chuckled.

"The only reason I didn't want you to know to begin with is because you were still working on that grudge and I just knew you would refuse to sing it because it had my name on it," He sighed.

She nodded, "You were probably right about that, but we've been getting along for a while now. You could have told me."

"Well, you know now," He suggested with a smile.

She nodded, "Next time you write me a song, just tell me. Retire Thomas Cole. Were you going to use him for 'Maybe'?"

"I was at first, but then you seemed to be having such a bad night last night I thought a new song might cheer you up," Nate told her.

"I'm glad you told me about that one, then," Ella said softly. "It really did make the night better."

"I'm glad I told you about it too," Nate smiled. "So, what movie should we pretend to watch?"

"Pretend to watch?" Ella asked with a chuckle.

"We ended up falling asleep through last night's movie. Who's to say that won't happen again?" Nate asked with a wink.

"If we keep waking up in the same bed people might get the wrong impression," Ella said with a teasing smirk.

Nate shrugged, "I don't really care too much about 'people.' I don't know most of those 'people,' so they're opinions don't really matter." He grinned flirtatiously at Ella, "Besides I rather enjoyed the way I woke up this morning."

Ella blushed and looked away from him, "I can't say I minded too much."

Ella didn't really know what was happening. All she knew was that she felt giddy and confused. She felt a thrill at the idea of waking up next to Nate, and a thrill at the flirtatious way he was looking at her at the moment. She just really wanted to be near him. She was feeling so much that it was almost overwhelming. She wanted to know if she was alone in this. Was Nate feeling all of these things too? Did he know what to do with all of them?

They sat down on the foot of Nate's bed as he began to flip through the list of movies that were available. Ella bit her bottom lip.

"What are we doing Nate?" She blurted out suddenly.

He gave her a strange look, "Renting a movie."

She sighed and fell back onto his bed, "No!"

Nate's eyebrows flew upward and he put the remote down. He turned to face Ella as she popped back up off of his bed.

"What are we doing?" She asked him seriously as she made sure to look him in the eye. "I mean what I'm feeling is more than friendship, but I just don't know—I don't know what we're doing."

He smiled slowly and took a deep nervous breath, "I think we're two people trying to figure out what we're feeling and how to handle it. That's what I think. It's too confusing to sum up in a few words, but you're right…it's more than friendship."

"Okay, and what do we do with that?" Ella asked.

Nate chuckled and reached for her hand. He gave it a squeeze before placing a lingering kiss on the back of it. He looked back up at her and took a deep breath, "We take it slow, and see where it leads us."

Her heartbeat sped up and she felt like her heart was slamming against her ribcage. If a kiss on the back of her hand could make her feel like this she was almost afraid of what a kiss on the lips might do. She figured she would either melt…or explode. Maybe even both.

But Nate was right. They had plenty of time to figure that out. She smiled softly at him and nodded.

"Take it slow, right," She said. "We can do that."

Nate chuckled, "Can we?"

Her eyes widened, "If you can, I can. Can you?"

She watched him as he seriously thought about his answer. He was the one to suggest taking it slow, but he had to admit that hearing Ella say she felt more than friendship for him made him very impatient. But he'd realized tonight that he didn't just want "more than friendship." He wanted love. He was already there, but he knew Ella was going to need some time to get there. He was willing to give her that.

"It won't be easy, but I think I can," He told her honestly.

She nodded, "Then I can too."

The determined yet unsure look in her eyes amused him. He didn't know how long he or she could take it slow, but, one thing was for sure, they would never be bored.


	22. Chapter 22

Go Figure

By angellwings

_

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Two

* * *

_

Ella woke up the next morning and immediately came to the realization that something felt _different_. For one thing her head was resting on a very solid chest. She slowly blinked and opened her eyes. She was snuggled against Nate's chest and tucked securely between the covers. She realized Nate wasn't though. A light chuckle escaped her lips.

She knew why he had slept above the covers. When the movie had ended last night and she had gotten up to go to her room, Nate begged her to stay. She knew there was no ulterior motive behind it. He just wanted her to be with him, and she hadn't really wanted to leave. But despite herself she couldn't help but think of a million scenarios that would cause 101 different kinds of gossip. Nate must have noticed her struggle because he quickly promised to sleep on the extra bed. Nate didn't have a roommate so he got a room with two queen size mattresses all to himself.

He had just sounded so certain that he wanted her to stay with him. She couldn't say no. They had both laid down on their separate beds. Ella hadn't realized she was so tired. As soon as her head hit the pillow she was out.

She figured Nate must have laid down beside her after she had fallen asleep, but knowing Nate he couldn't break his promise completely. So, he'd slept above the covers. If anyone walked in they would be able to dismiss the idea that they had done anything more than talk. Ella thought the action was completely precious. He had wanted contact, but not at the risk of breaking his word. She glanced up at his face and smiled softly.

The sunlight was coming through a crack in the curtains behind them. It fell lightly across Nate's curls. His curls shimmered a golden red as the sunlight hit them. Ella had never been more tempted to reach up and touch just _one _of those curls. Her fingers were itching to feel their texture. The sunlight, it seemed, was taunting her. It was only shining across one section of his face in a thin line. It ran from the top of his curls, over his right eye, and stopped when it reached his collar bone. Just the right amount of golden light to encourage her to reach out and touch one of Nate's rather messy curls. She did so gingerly. Her fingers gently touched one of the curls at the base of his neck. She felt the texture of it between her fingers, and was surprised at how soft it was. She had expected something a little more…wiry. But she was happy to be wrong.

The corners of Nate's mouth drew upward into a smirk before he spoke, "I was wondering when you were finally going to do that."

Ella jumped and pulled her hand back.

Nate let out a low chuckle that reverberated through the mattress, "You've been staring at my hair for ten minutes now."

She blushed as he opened his eyes and rolled over to face her.

He smiled softly, "So, were they everything you thought they would be?"

She chuckled, "No, they were better."

Ella suddenly knew why she felt different. There was something so freeing in knowing that Nate felt something more than friendship for her, and also in knowing that he was aware that she returned those feelings. There was nothing to hide. They had admitted it. She appreciated it so much more when Nate reached forward and gently ran the back of his fingers against her cheek. She felt no shame in leaning into the warmth his hand offered and closing her eyes.

How exactly did Nate get this far under her skin? More importantly _why_ did he affect her the way he did? Apart from Chevy, his opinion meant more to her than anyone else's, and she secretly enjoyed all those times Nate had frustrated her and challenged her. In many ways, he was responsible for how happy she was right now. Yes, currently the Colby thing was putting a damper on her happiness, but it was still there. She was still happy. She was closer to achieving her dreams of a career in music than she ever had been before, she now felt confident that she had a strong group of friends surrounding her, and she was closer to her brother and father than she had been in her entire life. Colby was the only black mark on her life right now. And Nate had a hand in two out of the three of those things. He had pushed her and pushed her until she had no choice but to let the old gang back in, and then he had somehow persuaded her to start a band.

Her life no longer felt like a broken down car stuck on the side of the road. No, now her life felt like the shiniest and newest import on the lot. And it was mostly thanks to Nate. He had done more for her, and cared for her more than anyone ever had outside of her family. She suddenly felt warm lips on her closed eyelids and gasped. Nate placed a feather light kiss on each of her eyelids before placing a slow lingering kiss on her forehead. Somehow this was the most sensuous moment of her life.

It must have been the combination of everything. The feel of the mattress beneath her, the freshly clean smell of him, the feeling of his body heat so close to hers, and then…three small kisses. Yet, they were all equally as powerful as a heated kiss on the lips.

She was thrown for a loop. She opened her eyes slowly as Nate leaned back and smiled softly at her. As he laid back down she returned her head to its former position on his chest.

"What was that for?" She asked him hoarsely as she desperately tried to recover.

He wrapped an arm tightly around her, "Does there have to be a reason?"

"No," She said in a stunned tone. "No, I suppose not."

"So, today is Thursday. Our day off," He told her. Ella heard a slight crack in his voice and grinned. Apparently she wasn't the only one feeling overwhelmed at the moment. "What would you like to do?"

"Stay here," She answered quickly. Nate let loose another low, throaty chuckle. What was it about that chuckle that raised chills on her arms? It just sounded so…masculine and, dare she think it, sexy.

"Sounds like a good idea to me," He answered. "It's been a while since I've let myself have a lazy day."

"A while meaning…years?" Ella smirked knowingly.

He rolled his eyes playfully, "Yeah, yeah, I'm a workaholic. I know."

Ella laughed lightly and turned toward him a little more. She placed an arm across him and rested her hand on his chest. This was so cozy and comfortable, and they were actually planning on staying like this for a while. Oh yes, Ella liked this newfound intimacy. It had been a long time since she truly felt like a _man_ cared for her, and it was true she probably didn't need a man's concern to survive but it was still a nice thing to have.

Although, she was beginning to think she _desperately_ needed _this_ man's concern. Ella chuckled to herself wryly.

"What?" Nate asked curiously.

She continued to chuckle, "Nothing, just thinking."

"About what?"

"When I signed on to sing back up on dad's tour, I never in a million years expected all _this_," She told him brightly. "I expected to be stuck in a job that I merely _liked_ and to have to take care of my father every waking minute. None of what I've experienced in the last few months was on that list."

"So, you don't regret it? Even though I drove you crazy and spent most of those early weeks trying to make you angry _just _so you would actually _talk_ to me?" Nate asked curiously.

"No, I don't. If I could go back to that phone call from dad I would make the exact same decision all over again. Sure, in getting from Point A to Point B there might be some small things that I would change. Like going out with Tyler or trying so hard to convince myself you were a jerk. Those things I would change, but everything else went pretty well," She said happily.

Now, that sounded like the Ella he remembered. He knew that Ella would never truly be back. Too much had happened to that Ella, but he was happy to be getting glimpses of her now. Truth be told, he was pretty happy with how Ella turned out. Sure, at first she was a little more gloomy than was probably healthy, but now…she was a strong, confident woman. He knew she had her insecurities and fears, and so did he. So did every one else on the planet, actually. But Ella no longer let them completely control her. She had come a long way.

There was still one thing she needed to do though, and Nate honestly had no idea when or if she would ever be ready to do that. She needed to forgive Peggy. So far, he had avoided bringing it up, and he didn't plan on bringing it up right now, but she was going to have to, at the very least, call a truce with Peggy. Nate knew that out of all them, Peggy had been the one to hurt Ella the most, but he also knew that Peggy was the one who felt the most guilt about that. Sure, he had made it his personal mission to see Ella happy again, but Peggy was the one torturing herself over past crimes. Peggy and Ella needed to talk. If only to come to the conclusion that, while Ella couldn't forgive her at the moment, she was open to the possibility in the future. Of course, he wasn't even sure Ella felt that way. It was possible she was still determined to ignore Peggy's existence.

"Ella?" Nate asked hesitantly.

"Hm?"

"How's the 'forgiving Peggy' process coming?"

She sighed, "I just don't know if Peggy and I can ever really be _friends_ like we were before."

"No one's asking you to do that, El. Believe me, even Peggy knows the two of you will probably never have _that_ kind of friendship again," Nate told her reassuringly.

"I'm not ready to forgive her yet, Nate," Ella told him seriously.

"I didn't think you were. The real question right now is whether or not you're _willing_ to forgive her. Are you?"

When Ella answered there was a sadness in her voice that he _wished _he could make go away.

"I want to be, but I just—Every time I see her I'm reminded of how much it hurt to realize she just wasn't there. One sided friendship is almost worse than no friendship at all. I just felt so…useless. When you were a kid, you had a favorite toy that you took with you every where right?"

Nate nodded. He knew where she was going with this.

"Do you remember the day you decided that toy was too young for you? The day you out grew it?" She asked softly. He closed his eyes as a heartbroken tone filled her voice. He knew she needed to say this, but hearing her sound so devastated was really getting to him. "Well, I felt like the toy she outgrew. The doll that just no longer held any interest for her whatsoever. I've been through some pretty difficult things in my life, Nate, and usually I was able to find the positive. I would take that one positive and cling to it like it was the only thing that would save my life. I was very good at that. Chevy taught me to do that. He'd been using that technique long before me. It was never easy for me to do. It was always a struggle. Like clinging to a life preserver in extremely rough waters, but from the minute Peggy and I became friends…she made that struggle easier. She was a naturally positive thinker, and an idealist. She just…understood. I'm sure you know what that's like. It has to be the same for you, Shane, and Jason. They're your family in everything but blood, right?"

Nate nodded as Ella continued. He was constantly amazed by the way she processed things. She thought about everything differently. More deeply, he felt, than a lot of people he knew. Every little action spoke volumes to Ella, for better or worse.

"Well, that's what Peggy was for me. Imagine if Shane and Jason just suddenly disappeared from your life. Imagine that they were just gone, and you tried, really tried, to keep them by your side but they didn't seem to see it. They didn't see you calling out after them as they rode off into the sunset."

She stopped there. She felt raw, like she had just exposed all of her most secret thoughts for the world to hear. She had confessed part of that to Colby one night, but only part. A very small part. She hadn't felt able to just freely express everything with Colby, and now she knew why. A part of her had always known she couldn't trust him. She just refused to admit it.

"Do you understand why it's so hard for me?" Ella asked Nate curiously. No one seemed to. Not even Chevy. Not completely. Nate kissed her temple and looked her in the eyes. She saw, in his eyes, everything she felt, and knew that he did understand.

"I do, Ella," he told her in a voice that sounded soggy and thick and full of every emotion.

Ella took a deep breath, "I'm willing to try to forgive her, but I'm not so certain that I can forget."

"That's all anyone can ask right now," He assured her. He'd never thought about her friendship with Peggy in the way that she had described it. Peggy had been a sister and a small piece of sanity for Ella. Having that ripped out of your grasp despite desperately trying to cling to it seemed so traumatic to him now that he was extremely proud of Ella for even being willing to try and forgive. It was a big step forward. "Alright, we need something fun to do now."

Ella chuckled and agreed, "What time is it?"

Nate looked at the clock on the bedside table, "8 AM."

"What time does Shane usually get up on your days off?" Ella asked with a wicked grin.

"Why?" Nate asked slowly and suspiciously.

"Wanna go bang on his door and wake him up?" Ella asked as her eyes sparkled deviously.

"No, I'd prefer to live to see my 25th birthday, thanks," Nate said as he shook his head.

"C'mon! We'd run away before he came to the door! It would be like 'ding-dong-ditch' except there's no doorbell and it's early in the morning," Ella smirked. Nate's eyes widened and he stared at her like she'd grown three heads. "C'mon, Nate, please? Be evil, just this once."

He let out a resigned sigh, "If we get caught I'm telling him it was your idea."

She placed an excited kiss on his cheek and then hopped out of bed. Then again, maybe Ella was worth a screaming fit from Shane, he thought as he too got out of bed and followed Ella out the door and down the hall. Nate shook his head at Ella as they came to a stop in front of Shane's hotel room door. He couldn't believe he was doing this.

Ella counted down from three on her fingers before they both began banging on Shane's door and screaming at the top of their lungs. They heard a crash from inside the room, and Ella stifled a laugh. There was stomping and cursing on the other side of the door. Nate could hear them both coming closer before he quickly grabbed Ella's hand and pulled her into the safety of his own hotel room.

Only then, did the two of them collapse into a fit of giggles and gasping laughter. Their laughter only became even more uncontrollable when a few moments later Shane stepped out into the hall and yelled at the top of his lungs.

"WHAT! THE HELL! WAS THAT!"

Only to be followed by Jason's groggy voice, "Dude, Shane, shut up. I'm trying to sleep here."

"Me? Me, shut up? Did you _not _hear that ruckus?"

"What ruckus?" Jason could be heard asking him.

"The-the-THE RUCKUS!" Shane yelled as if he could find no other words.

"Could you describe the ruckus?" Jason asked with obvious amusement in his voice.

"Oh, for crying out loud, Jase! This is _not_ the time to be quoting John Hughes movies!"

Nate's laughter finally slowed down enough for him to speak. He pulled Ella into a side hug and choked out, "Best. Idea. You've ever. Had."

She nodded her head in agreement and leaned into him as she continued to laugh uncontrollably.


	23. Chapter 23

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-Three

* * *

_

It was Friday morning, and Ella, Chevy, Nate, Caitlyn, and Jamie were all eating breakfast with the gang before they left to catch their flight to L.A. Mitchie and Lola were catching a flight later that day. Mitchie was meeting up with her tour in Pittsburgh and Lola was headed back to New York to start working on her album. Peggy left the night before. She had a talk show appearance in New York this morning.

A sad silence had fallen over the group. The last few days had been good to all of them. Every one had been together, and happy. Now, they all had to go back to reality.

"So, when do you guys get back?" Jason asked Caitlyn as he gave her the strawberries from his waffles.

"Late Sunday night," Caitlyn answered. "Maybe Monday morning depending on delays."

"Wow, that late?" Shane asked.

Ella grinned as she spoke up, "Don't worry, Shane, we'll try not to cause a _ruckus_ when we get back."

Nate let out a short chortling laugh before covering his smile with his hand.

Shane's eyes narrowed at Ella as he recognized the word. Jason seemed to get the joke and tried to hold back his smile as well. Shane's eyes widened suddenly before they narrowed once again.

"You," he sneered. "Y-you! Were the ruckus!"

Ella quickly feigned a bored face as she speared more cantaloupe onto her fork, "I have no idea what you're talking about. Do you, Nate?"

Nate made a negative noise and shook his head. He didn't trust himself to open his mouth.

"Nate was in on this too, wasn't he? Oh, you two just wait. Revenge is sweet, my friends. Revenge is sweet!" Shane exclaimed.

"What is he rambling about?" Caitlyn asked Jason in a whisper.

"Someone started banging and shouting at our door at 8 AM yesterday morning, but by the time Shane got to the door they were gone," Jason told her with a grin. "He kept using the word 'ruckus' so I had to tease him for good measure. It couldn't be helped."

"_Breakfast Club_ quotes?" Caitlyn asked knowingly.

"He used the word 'ruckus!'" Jason smirked. "How could I resist?"

Caitlyn chuckled and patted her fiance's hand.

* * *

Ella sat back in her seat on the plane and glanced over at Nate as he sat down beside of her. Nate sat down and turned to face her with a smirk.

"Have I told you how happy I am that Colby's not here?"

She rolled her eyes playfully and chuckled. "Yes, yes you have. Several times."

"I just can't help it. I was _dreading_ this weekend when I thought he was going to be with us," Nate told her honestly.

She grinned and quirked an eyebrow at him. "Were you jealous?"

"Yes."

"Oh," Ella said as her eyes widened and she blushed. She hadn't expected him to be so honest or look so serious. "I—I see."

He smiled softly at her. "You were expecting me to lie?"

"I—I don't know what I was expecting."

He took her hand, and was thankful it was a private plane. There was no risk of anyone who wasn't a friend seeing them. "Ella, I'm not going to lie to you or put up some ridiculous front anymore."

"Anymore?" Ella said with a grin.

He gave her a small smile. "Yes, anymore."

"Meaning…"

"You're gonna make me say it, aren't you?" He asked.

She laughed and nodded. "Of course."

"Well, then I'm fairly certain I've been lying to myself since you turned me down at the club that night," He said. "You mean more to me than I ever let on."

Ella smiled brightly at him. "You mean a lot to me too, Nate."

"Hey," Caitlyn said as she kicked Nate's seat. "Mr. and Mrs. Adorable, keep it down would ya? I'm trying to get some sleep here."

Nate rolled his eyes, and spoke up in a tone that was much louder than necessary. "Sure thing, Cait. We'd love to keep it down!"

Ella peered back slightly to find Caitlyn glaring at the back of Nate's head. As soon as they heard Caitlyn shuffling around in attempt to find a comfortable sleeping position Nate reached into his messenger bag that he'd placed under the chair. He pulled out a peppermint with a noisy wrapper. Ella grinned and shook her head at him as he unwrapped the candy as slowly and as loudly as possible. Ella nearly jumped when Caitlyn's hand suddenly appeared between them.

"Gimme it."

"Give you what?" Nate asked.

"The damn wrapper, Nate. Give it."

He sighed dramatically and placed the wrapper in her hand. Nate waited for Caity to get comfortable again before popping the candy into his mouth and crunching on it loudly.

Caitlyn muttered violently as she kicked his seat with force. Nate let out a malicious laugh as he was jolted forward and then turned to smirk at Ella. She chuckled softly at him.

"You're evil."

"Nah, I just like messing with Cait," Nate said loudly.

"Ass," Caitlyn grumbled before kicking Nate's seat one last time.

* * *

"Okay," Caitlyn said to the group as they gathered their things and got off the plane. Andy and Tyler met them at the airport. "You guys have a gig tonight at that newly renovated 21 place. Show starts at 9. We need to be there at 7 for sound check. Until then you guys are free. We'll meet at 6:45 outside the club's back entrance. Got it?"

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am," Chevy agreed with a salute.

Caitlyn rolled her eyes, and chuckled at him. "Don't be late." She gave Tyler a pointed glare. "Got that, Hot Shot?"

Tyler fidgeted under her stare. "I—I—um, yes?"

"Good. I've got a few errands to run for Jase, but I will see you guys at the club tonight," Caitlyn told them all. "Have fun, but don't get into trouble."

"So," Nate said as he took Ella's carry on from her. "What would you like to do until you have to be at the club?"

Ella's eyes landed on the glass automatic doors they were approaching and she paused. "Well, first things first, I'd like to get out of this airport without becoming tabloid fodder."

"What?" Nate asked his followed her eyes to the mob of photographers waiting for them. He groaned and turned to Jamie. "I thought no one knew we were coming?"

Jamie shook his head and held his hands up in surrender. "Hey, I don't know where these people get all their intel."

Nate gave Ella an apologetic look. "We're gonna have to split up. Normally I would say to just barge through and deal with whatever comes but—"

"You promised Tina. I know, I understand," She told him with a small genuine smile. "It's okay."

He gave her a quick one armed hug that could easily be interpreted by onlookers as platonic. She reached out for her bag and he grinned. "Oh no, I'm keeping this."

"But Nate," She whined. "I need that for tonight! My make up is in there!"

"You'll get it back _long_ before tonight," He told her with a wink. "I promise."

She glared at him playfully. "I better."

He nodded and turned to shake hands with Jamie. "I'll be in touch, man, _very_ soon."

Ella watched as Nate followed his own personal guard into the crowd of cameras to the car that waited for him. Jamie reached out for Ella's arm. "Come on, the van's waiting for the band."

Ella made her way to the van and climbed in. Chevy, Andy, and Tyler all gave her an odd look.

"I thought you were riding with Nate?" Chevy asked. "They were gonna drop you at your apartment."

She shrugged. "Change of plans. I guess you guys are taking me home."

Andy patted her shoulder. "Photographers?"

She nodded. "What else? But it's okay. Nate promised he'd see me before the show."

"That's good, you know, since he can't actually be there," Chevy told her.

Her brow furrowed. "What? Why can't he be there?"

"He promised Tina the two of you would avoid the paparazzi right?" Chevy asked. "If he were to show up at our show you guys would be everywhere."

"Oh," Ella sighed. "I hadn't thought about that."

"Has anybody talked to Mac, lately?" Andy asked. "You know, since…_Colby_."

They glanced at each other and when no one confirmed that they had Andy quickly pulled out his phone and dialed Mac's number. "Hey, man. Caitlyn call you about the show tonight? What do you mean are you invited? You're in the band, dude."

Ella bit her bottom lip and held out her hand for the phone. "Let me talk to him."

Andy placed the phone in her hand. "Mac?"

"…Ella?"

"What's going on? Do you not want to be in the band anymore?"

"Ella, my best friend betrayed your trust. I didn't think…"

"Did you know what he was up to?"

"No."

"Did you suspect he was doing any of what he's done so far?"

"No."

"Then what are you worried about? We'll see you there."

"B-but you're not mad at me?"

Ella sighed. "Mac, _you_ didn't do anything to me."

"But I should have known. I should have seen what was happening. I mean I've done the same thing before. You'd think I would have noticed he was…different. I called him yesterday, you know."

Ella didn't really want to hear about this, but it sounded like Mac needed to tell her. "And?"

"I went over to his place, and I asked him why. I wanted to know why he would do that to you. He told me he was desperate and that he needed the money and the work."

Wow, that made her sound like…an object instead of a person.

"And you know what I did?" Mac asked after a moment of silence.

"What?" Ella asked.

"I punched him. I don't think I can be his friend anymore. He didn't even look like he felt guilty at all. At least when I gave my editors _my_ information I knew it was _wrong_. He's not the guy I knew at all."

Ella sympathized with him and she frowned. "Mac, it sounds like he didn't _just_ betray me. He betrayed you too."

"Yeah, I guess he did."

"Look, I have a new song. And I think…we probably need to play it tonight. But we're not going to play _anything_ if you're not with us. So, we'll see you at the back door of the club at 6:45, right? I promise, it'll be therapeutic."

Mac laughed lightly. "Okay, then I'm there."

"Good. And don't ever doubt who your friends are, Mac. You're one of us now," Ella told him before they said good bye and hung up. She tossed the phone to Andy. "He'll be there."

Chevy smiled at his little sister and pulled her close. "Colby will get his, sis. What goes around, comes around."

"I know," She whispered.

They finally arrived at the hotel and Ella frowned at Jamie as he helped her out of the van. "Wait, weren't you supposed to take me home?"

"We were being followed. You don't want these guys to know where you live," Jamie told her as he glanced at the paparazzi in his peripheral vision. "Besides, Nate called and he's picking you up here. Follow me."

Jamie led her through the lobby and into the hotel's fancy restaurant. No one seemed to notice as they entered the kitchen. They were all too busy working. Jamie opened the back door into the alley that housed the restaurants dumpster.

And there, waiting for them anxiously was Nate.

"Your bag," He said with a smirk as he handed her the small teal duffle bag.

She laughed at his smug expression and then he quickly helped her into the black luxury sedan waiting on them. Jamie hopped into the passenger seat and had the driver put up the partition.

"That was fast," She told him with a bright smile.

"I was not going to wait any longer than I had to," Nate told her with a chuckle and a soft smile. "But, unfortunately, we can't go to your place. I really don't want—"

"People following me. Yeah, Jamie said something about that earlier."

"That complex of yours doesn't really have any security does it?" Nate asked worriedly.

Ella shook her head. "No."

"At the rate things are going, you'll probably need to find somewhere to live that has security or a gate, at least," Nate told her seriously.

Her brow furrowed and she let out a nervous sigh. "I—Really? That sounds…I mean, Nate, I don't know if…"

Nate noticed the fear pooling in her eyes and put an arm around her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

He pulled her closer. "Y—you didn't."

"Ella, it's okay to be scared of all of this. Things are happening kind of fast for you right now. It's natural to be afraid of it," Nate assured her as she rested her head on his chest. His thumb grazed across her shoulder. "But, you should know, no one's going to let anything bad happen to you. You're safe."

She took a deep breath and nodded. She believed him. It was hard not to. Everything about him made her feel safe. The spiced cologne he wore, the warmth of him, the sound of his heart beat, and even the thumb that moved slowly over her skin…it all left her feeling very protected. "I know."

"Do you need anything from your apartment for the show? Jamie might be willing to go and—"

"No," She told him as she cut him off softly. She nudged her bag with her foot, and then looked up at him. "Everything I need is right here."

He smiled warmly and quirked a brow at her. "Everything? That statement wouldn't, by chance, have a double meaning, would it?"

She pulled herself up very slightly and placed a kiss just below his ear. "Maybe."

She saw a faint bashful blush appear on his cheeks before he turned his face toward hers and he breathed deeply. He brought his face close to hers and rested his forehead against her own. Their noses were just barely touching and for a second Ella just _knew_ this would be it. The moment when they finally got their first real kiss.

A light lengthy buzz sounded from the partition.

"Oh, whoa."

Nate and Ella jumped apart at the sound of Jamie's voice. Jamie cleared his throat and looked away from the couple.

"Uh—um, my bad. I'll just, um—leave you two to it then," He started to put the partition back up when the car stopped. He paused. "Or maybe I won't. Driver says we're here."

Nate sighed and ran a hand through his curls. "Yes, thank you, _Jamie_."

Ella chuckled at the frustrated look on Nate's face. She nudged his shoulder with her own. "Nate, we have plenty of time. Remember?"

His face softened. "I remember."

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, so I know I haven't updated this in a while, but I've gotten behind on it. I try to stay at least three chapters ahead while I'm posting, but right now I'm only two chapters ahead. So the next update after this one might be a while. I'm working on another big Natella that I _really_ want to be my 200th story on here. So I'm trying to go ahead and get that one done. But I do plan on finishing this one. I have chapters 24 and 25 done. But I'd like to have 26 done before I post again. Happy Reading!

angellwings


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: **Okay, guys, you might have seen in other ANs on other stories that I have a mission this month to finish all of my posted Work In Progress stories. I've finished all of them but this one. So, I think you'll be sing lots of updates over the next 15 days.

Happy reading!

angellwings

* * *

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-Four_

* * *

He grabbed her hand and led her away from the car as Jamie and the driver unloaded the trunk. Ella snatched up her bag as they got out. Jamie shoved the strap of a duffel bag onto Nate's shoulders and then pushed the handle of the rolling suitcase into Nate's hands.

"I'm here to carry her luggage not yours—actually, I'm not here to carry _any_ luggage at all, but I tolerate carrying hers because she pays me. You, on the other hand, pay me nothing. Carry your own luggage," Jamie told him. "Also, I'm going back to the hotel. Ella, call me when you're ready to leave for the club. _Don't_ leave without me. Clear?"

She nodded. "Clear. I won't go anywhere without calling you."

"Good," Jamie said before turning back to Nate and pointing at him. "You. Don't get her into trouble."

Nate rolled his eyes. "Do I look like a trouble maker to you?"

Jamie regarded him thoughtfully. "Never can tell with you rock star types." He turned and got back into the car with the driver. "Have fun!"

"We will!" Nate called after him. He turned to Ella and pulled out his keys. "Now that _he's_ gone."

Ella giggled at him and finally took the time to take in her surroundings. "Your house is huge. You live here? All alone?"

"I don't know if I'd call what I do here '_living'_ per say, but I do sleep, eat, and occasionally relax here," Nate told her as he turned the key and opened the door.

"This is an awfully big place to be in alone," She stated as she stepped inside and looked around.

"I'm never here long enough to really notice," he said as he followed her gaze around the room. It was like he was seeing the place for the first time. "But you're right." He turned and smirked at her then. "I guess you'll just have to come over more often then."

Ella blushed before smiling at him shyly. "Where's your bathroom?"

He pointed to a darkened hallway. "First door on the right."

"Thanks," She said with a nod. "I'm just gonna go freshen up a bit."

He nodded. "Make yourself at home. I'm going to take my bags up stairs and put them away."

They parted ways and on his way up the stairs he noticed how _cold_ his house appeared. There were only a handful of pictures and no superfluous decorations at all. And, with the exception of the few table top photo frames he had in his room, there was no way to tell that this place was really _his_. He set his large duffel bag on his bed and tucked his small suitcase out of the way. He came back down the stairs just as Ella was coming out of the bathroom.

She'd pulled her hair back into a sloppy bun and washed her face. He smiled softly at her. It was nice to know that she was that comfortable with him. And he thought, if it was possible, he found her more attractive without all the make up and the hair products. They met halfway and he caught the distinct smell of mint.

She'd brushed her teeth too apparently.

"Hello, again," He said with a smile.

She couldn't help but smile back. "Hi."

He laced his fingers with hers and brought her over to sit with him on the couch. He picked up the remote and turned on the television. "So, are you excited about the show tonight?"

He let go of her hand to slip his arm around her shoulders and pull her closer. He narrowed his eyes as she bit her lip and twiddled her thumbs.

"Um, sort of."

"Sort of?" He asked. "What do you mean sort of?"

"Well, I'm excited for the show, but I'm _not_ excited that you can't be there," Ella told him as she studied her thumbs intently.

"What? Why can't I be there?" Nate asked in confusion.

Ella looked up at him sharply before returning to her thumbs. "I—I just assumed you couldn't. I mean you promised Tina and Chevy said that if you were to—"

"I promised Tina that the paparazzi wouldn't catch us together. That's all," He said as he tilted her chin upward with his finger. He brought her gaze to his. "I'll be at your show. I'll just be in the back hopefully going unnoticed in my hat and sunglasses."

"Really?" Ella asked.

"Really," He promised. "I'll find you after the show, and then to prove it you can quiz me on your entire set."

Ella laughed. "I'll do that."

"I would expect nothing less," He said as he pulled her to him and kissed her forehead.

"Should you really risk it though?" Ella asked after a thoughtful pause. The more she thought about it, the more she worried. "What if someone recognizes you?"

"No one will recognize me. I'll make sure of it." He told her. "I don't _want_ to miss your show. So, I say I should risk it."

"Well, if you insist then I can't really stop you, can I?" Ella asked with a grin.

"No, you can't," He answered simply. To himself he thought, "_Not when it comes to being there for you."_

He leaned back on the couch and pulled her with him. His back rested against the arm rest and his legs were stretched out across the couch. Ella's body was comfortably tucked between him and the back of the couch. She wrapped her arms around his torso and cuddled into his side as Nate began to flip through television channels.

"Wait go back," Ella requested eagerly after he'd been flipping for a while. "I like that show."

"What show?" He asked as he began to go back.

"Project Runway."

He paused and turned to her slowly. "Nope. Sorry. No."

"Why not?" She pouted.

"I don't watch reality TV," He told her.

Ella's eyes widened. "None at all?"

"No. I hate it. I mean not unless it's a documentary or something. Reality TV is full of useless drama and blatant spoiled attention seekers. I can't take it," He told her honestly.

"Well, then we have a problem," Ella said with a chuckle.

"What's that?"

"I'm addicted to reality TV," She admitted. She stuck out her bottom lip and turned to him with a sad expression. "And I would really like for you to go back because that was the episode I missed last week."

Her wide eyes nearly convinced him to go back, but he stopped just before pressing the button. He turned to her and smirked. "Oh, you're good. You almost had me flipping back through the channels."

"You're mean!" Ella told him with a small grin. "Come on! I want to watch it."

"Tough."

She gasped and narrowed her eyes at him. "Fine, I guess I'll just have to do it myself."

He gave her an odd look as she started to sit up. She was halfway off the couch before he realized what she was doing. She was headed for the controls on the television itself. "Oh no you don't!"

He reached out quickly and grabbed her waist. She let out a startled sound as he pulled her back down onto the couch. She suddenly turned and lunged for the remote he still held. He jerked it back out of her reach. He laughed as she kept reaching for it, and reaching and reaching…

His arm tightened around her waist and held her back as soon as she got close. She grunted and tried to wiggle out of his grasp.

"My TV, my rules," He told her with a smirk. "By the time you get the remote your show will be over."

"This stopped being about Project Runway a long time ago. Gimme the remote!" She said as finally squirmed out of his hold and launched herself at his hand that held the remote. He moved to dodge her hand but he wasn't fast enough. Her hand wrapped around both his hand and the remote. Nate tugged and tried to pull away from her but instead they lost their balance on the couch and toppled over.

Nate groaned in pain as his shoulder collided with the corner of his coffee table. He felt Ella land on top of him and heard a loud smack followed by a whine.

"Ow, ow, ow! Funny bone!"

He looked down at her and reached out to cradle her elbow. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. I just hit that one really sensitive spot, you know? It still kind of hurts. How are you? Did you hit anything?"

"Just my shoulder, but I'm okay. I'll probably have a knot there tomorrow, but that's all," He assured her.

"Good, then your pride will be all that's wounded," She said with a smirk. She brought her other hand up and showed him the small rectangular object she held. "Because _I_ won."

"This isn't over," He told her with a grin.

She giggled and stood up. She straightened out her shirt and sauntered away from him.

"Oh, I believe it is," She called out over her shoulder.

He stood and quirked an eyebrow at her. "No, it's not."

She turned at his tone and he wasted no time sprinting after her. Her eyes widened and she squealed. She took off around the other side of the couch just as he almost caught up with her. They circled the couch for several minutes before Ella made a break for the stairs. She made it to the very top before she realized she didn't exactly know where she was going. She paused for a second and entered the first door she came to on her left. She'd just barely made it through the doorway when a pair of arms circled her waist and lifted her off the ground. She kicked and wiggled as Nate dropped her onto a very large, very comfortable mattress.

"Now," He said as he crawled onto the mattress beside of her. He placed a hand on either side of her head and moved to hover over her. He smirked at the dazed look on her face. "Give me the remote."

She bit her lip and tried not to stare at his lips, but that was impossible since they were up close and personal. He had her pinned to the bed and was practically laying on top of her. She huffed and hesitantly handed him the remote. "Fine, I guess we'll watch Animal Channel or something."

"I'm not exactly worried about the TV anymore, Ella."

Her eyes met his and she smirked. "Oh really?"

He let out a deep chuckled and dropped the remote beside the bed. "Yes, really."

He slowly leaned toward her and pressed his lips to hers. Ella sucked in a breath and smiled against his lips as she wrapped her arms around his middle. Nate wrapped his left arm around her waist and rolled them both onto their sides. Her lips parted slightly and Nate immediately deepened the kiss.

Ella didn't know what was going on with her, but, as she predicted, she felt as if she were melting and exploding all at once. Nate was kissing her slowly. So slowly that it almost felt like torture. She didn't understand how he had so much self control. Everything in _her_ wanted to kiss him quickly and urgently (and a lot).

But he seemed so…patient. This kiss wasn't hungry or possessive.

It was leisurely and passionate. He cared about her deeply and she could feel it in every little movement of his lips.

She was sure he was very slowly trying to kill her.

She felt his hand reach up and tug the large clip out of her hair. Her hair spilled onto the bed and one of Nate's hands immediately tangled itself into it. She whimpered softly at the feeling of his callused hands brushing against her scalp. Her hands pulled themselves away from his midsection and moved to his arms.

She could feel every muscle through his thin long sleeved T-shirt. She brought her hands further up and buried them underneath the round collar of his shirt.

Her thumb grazed back and forth across the base of his neck and Nate really thought he was going to lose it. He didn't want to rush this. He wanted everything to be right and perfect. Plus, he was afraid if he just let himself go he'd scare her. He was certain that his feelings were more intense than hers at this point, and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable.

But then he felt one of her legs wrap around his…

And he was gone.

He groaned and pulled her closer. Ella let out a small happy hum as he did this and something inside his chest suddenly felt very warm. Her t-shirt had ridden up a little bit and he could feel the soft skin of her back. His hand dared to move just under the hem of her shirt. Her skin was much softer than his own. Every where he touched her skin his fingers burned, and he couldn't quite get enough.

That's when he knew he had to pull away. He had to reign himself back in very quickly. He removed his hand from her hair to cup her face. They pulled apart, but he couldn't resist placing one more quick kiss on Ella's very pink, very swollen lips.

She sighed happily and closed her eyes. He smiled softly at her and pulled her against his chest. She buried her head into his neck and wrapped her arms around him.

He placed yet another kiss on her forehead. He just couldn't seem to stop.

"You know," Nate told her honestly. "I think this might be the first time this place has actually felt like a _home_ and not just a _house_."

Ella smiled and breathed in his cologne before she pulled her head out of his neck. "I like it. I mean it could use a few more personal touches, but it certainly feels like a 'home' to me."

His eyes flickered to her for a moment and he wondered if she had any idea just _how much_ those words meant to him. "Good. You're welcome here anytime, Ella. I hope you know that."

She beamed at him. "I do now."


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: **The two songs in this chapter are "Naturally" by Selena Gomez and "Delete You" by Ashley Tisdale. Both AWESOME songs. Go give them a listen! So, I'm going to be dedicated a lot of time to this story in the coming months. I'm hoping I'll finish it soon!

Happy reading!

angellwings

* * *

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

_Chapter Twenty-Five_

* * *

"What are you doing in there?" Nate asked as he leaned against the wall beside the bathroom door. "You've been in that bathroom for hours."

"I'm a _girl_, Nate. It's a little more difficult for me to get ready than you," Ella yelled through the door. "I had to shower, blow dry my hair, then actually do _something_ with it, then there was my make up, and there was _no way_ I was going out in public with chipped nail polish—"

"Okay, okay. I get it," He said with a laugh. "You almost done?"

"Almost," Ella answered. She paused before speaking again and he could _hear_ the amusement in her voice. "Why? Do you miss me already? Are you bored?"

"Yes, okay? I'm bored," he admitted. "So, please, hurry and get back out here. Jamie's gonna be here before you're even ready to go."

She scoffed at him. "Oh please, you just want to make out some more."

"You have to admit, it's not a bad idea."

She laughed. "No, it's not, but I'm not sure it's a good idea either considering what you did to my hair last time."

"If you want I could stop doing that," Nate suggested with a knowing smirk.

"No!" She yelled as the door cracked open and she poked her head out. "I—I mean, no. I didn't mean I didn't like it. I just meant that it wouldn't be a good idea before the show. Since my hair is ready and all."

Nate's smirk stayed steady as he leaned toward her face. "Does that mean you like having my fingers in your hair?"

His face was inches from hers, and the door was the only thing keeping him from moving closer. She blushed and grinned at him, but said nothing as she closed the door.

"I'm taking that as a yes," He told her through the closed door.

The door knob turned and he stepped back a little as Ella pulled the door all the way open. His eyes widened and he was fairly certain his mouth fell open too. He gulped as his mouth went a little dry. "Y-you look…"

"What? I look what?" Ella asked worriedly as she looked down at her short sleeveless magenta dress. "Is it too much? Or too girly? Maybe not rock and roll enough? I thought that might be the case, but—"

Nate reached out and encircled her waist with his hands. He pulled her to him and gave her a long once over. Her magenta dress was empire waisted with a beautiful flowing skirt. His thumb brushed over a few of the gold beads and embellishments that covered her abdomen. Her eye make up was dark and smokey and made her warm brown eyes shine even more. Plus the soft baby pink shade she'd put on her lips made them look extremely…kissable.

Most intriguing to him though was her black tights. They were embellished with bold colored gem stones. They added just the right sort of edge to the dress. Her hair was pulled back halfway and a little of it was allowed to fall across her shoulders in gentle waves. As he brought his eyes back up to her face he noticed the jeweled magenta elastic headband that held back her bangs. Ella began to fidget nervously in his arms and he knew it was probably passed time for him to speak.

"You're gorgeous," He told her with a smirk. "Definitely a rock princess."

She blushed. "Well, the outfits not complete yet. Jamie's bringing me the rest of it. It's just jewelry, my shoes, and my gloves."

"Gloves?" He asked.

"Mhm, long black lacy ones. They're very Madonna," She grinned.

He chuckled and pulled her against him. She leaned into him and circled her arms around his torso while his hands moved from her waist to envelop her shoulders. She rested her head on his chest and sighed happily. "I have no doubt that you'll turn every head in the room."

Ella smiled. "I don't need to turn _every_ head, Nate. Just yours."

He kissed the top of her head and grinned. "Then mission accomplished, Ella. _Believe_ me. I'd actually kiss you on the lips right now, but I wouldn't want to ruin your make up or anything."

She looked up at him and quirked a brow. "Lip gloss can be reapplied, you know."

He smirked and leaned closer to her. His lips hovered just over hers. Their noses were touching and she sighed in relief when his lips finally covered hers in a soft passionate kiss. He pulled away quickly though and Ella let out a whine.

He laughed at her. "I'll just repeat your words from earlier. We have plenty of time, remember?"

She sighed and glared at him playfully. "I remember. _Tease_."

"Oh so I'm a tease now, huh?" Nate asked with a grin.

"Yes."

"Well, this _tease_ has a gift for you, but since I am, you know, such a tease maybe I just won't give it to you," He told her as he stretched out onto his bed.

Ella's eyes widened and she quickly laid down beside him. She turned on her side and rested her chin in her hands to keep her hair from being flattened on the mattress. "A gift? For me?"

Nate nodded and turned on his side to look at her. "I was going to wait till after the show, but after seeing you like _this_ I don't think I can."

"Nate," She sang as her face softened. "You didn't have to get me anything."

"No, I didn't you're right," He said with a smirk. "But don't get too excited, it's not anything extravagant."

He rolled over for a second and opened the drawer on his bedside table. He placed a long necklace jewelry box on the bed in between them and nudged it toward her. She reached and wrapped her fingers around it. She moved to open it, but gave him a questioning look first.

He smiled and nodded. "Go ahead."

She anxiously pulled back the lid, and he watched as her brow furrowed and she lifted the necklace from the box gently. She smiled softly and cradled the necklace in her hands before she looked up at him curiously. "Is this a guitar string? As a necklace?"

He nodded and smiled warmly at her. "It broke while I was writing 'Falling Down'."

She took her other hand and studied the two guitar picks that hung from the converted guitar string. "And the picks?"

"One for each song you've inspired so far. 'Falling Down' and 'Maybe.' Those were actually the picks I used while writing them. I thought—"

Ella launched herself at him and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. "I _love_ it. Thank you, Nate."

He hugged her to him just as tightly. "I know it doesn't exactly go with your outfit. You don't have to wear it if you don't want to."

"Are you crazy? Of course I want to wear it," She said as she released him and smiled. She scooted past him and threw her legs over the side of the bed to sit up. She handed him the necklace, and spoke up eagerly. "Help me put it on? Please?"

He nodded and sat up behind her. He unclasped the necklace and then gently put it around her neck, and clasped it again. As it came to rest on her neck Ella brought a hand up to touch it. She turned to face him with a beaming smile.

"So you really like it?" He asked nervously. "Because if you don't its okay. Really."

"Nate," Ella said seriously. "Stop, I _love_ this. It's probably the best gift I've ever gotten. You're very sweet."

He relaxed and smiled. "I'm glad you like it. I plan on sending you more picks than that, by the way."

"You do?" Ella asked brightly. He pulled her back onto the bed and situated her beside of him. She put her arms around his middle and snuggled into his side.

"I have a feeling you're going to inspire a lot of songs, Ms. Pador," Nate grinned. "A lot."

Ella blushed and sighed happily. They sat in silence for a few minutes before the phone rang. It was security. Jamie and Nate's security were here to pick them up and take them to the show.

Ella squeezed his hand the entire ride. He could tell she was nervous because she was taking slow breaths in and out and had her gaze focused straight ahead. He squeezed her hand in return and she slowly turned her eyes to him.

"You okay over there?" He asked.

"What if I suck?" Ella asked. "What if my last two performances were flukes, and this time I just…_suck_?"

"You won't," Nate assured her.

"How do you know that?" Ella asked. "I mean what if these people hate me?"

"If they hate you then they're crazy," Nate said simply. "You're beautiful and talented and you're going to blow their minds."

"You're biased," Ella said with a smile and a shake of her head. He smiled and brought his face close to her cheek.

"Completely," he whispered before he placed a kiss on her cheek. She leaned into the kiss slightly and then chuckled at him. He kept his lips close to her cheek as he spoke again. "_But_ that doesn't change the fact that you're an exceptional performer. Do you want to know why I want to be at this show so badly?"

She nodded and he continued.

"Half of it is that I want to support you, but the other half is completely selfish. You put every bit of your being into the songs you sing. When you're performing I feel what you feel, and it makes watching you on stage _very_ addictive."

When he finished speaking he placed another kiss on her cheek and then wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

"You know, I'm trying my best to ignore the two of you and _pretend_ I don't know what's going on, but you're making it awfully hard. Can you stop with the PDA back there, Black?" Jamie asked from the passenger seat.

"I'll try," Nate said with a laugh.

"So, you guys are what? Dating now?"

"Yes," Ella answered with a grin. "Is that a problem for you?"

"Oh no, definitely not, but have you told the others about this at all?" Jamie asked.

Ella's eyes widened. "Whoops."

Nate laughed. "Not yet. It kind of slipped our minds. But I don't think they'll be that surprised."

Ella smiled at him. "You don't?"

He blushed and cleared his throat. "Well, they kind of knew I had feelings for you before _I_ did. So…"

Ella smirked at him. "I'm pretty sure it was the same for both of us. Between Torrey, Kelly, and Cait I was definitely the last to know."

They arrived not long after that, and the guards took Nate in first to find a good place to hide him in the audience and Ella and Jamie met Caitlyn outside the back door. Caitlyn watched Nate go in and then turned to Ella and Jamie questioningly.

"Nate's here? Are we sure that's a good idea?"

"He was determined to come, Caitlyn. I couldn't talk him out of it," Ella told her.

Caitlyn laughed and shook her head. "If he's busted by some random fan I am _not_ bailing him out."

Ella gave her a grin and a stern look. "Cait, you know as well as I do that if he was attacked by a mob of fans you would waste no time trying to get in there and save him."

"Only because he's one-third of Connect Three and essential to my fiance's career," Caitlyn admitted with a small smirk. Chevy and the others arrived and Ella hugged each of them in greeting, and then Caitlyn called the meeting to order.

"Alright, set list. Did you guys decide what you wanted to perform?"

Chevy nodded. "We have a half hour so we thought minus talking time we could get in about seven songs. Right? So, 'I Want You', 'Falling Down', 'Got Dynamite', 'Acting Out', 'What If', and Ella's two new songs, 'Delete You' and 'Naturally'. How does that sound?"

Caitlyn nodded. "Perfect. Alright, let's head inside for sound check."

The group followed Caitlyn inside and they found Nate waiting in the wings of the stage.

"Hey," Ella said when she saw him. "I thought you were going to sit out in the audience."

"I was," He said with a sigh. "But Luke feels it might be too risky. So, I'll be here beside of the stage all night long."

"Well, you have security for a reason, Nate. They're probably right. _And_ this means that you'll be right here when I get off stage tonight. I call that a win," Ella told him with a smirk. "Don't you?"

He laughed. "I guess so."

While the guys got settled and tuned their instruments Ella stayed by Nate's side. "I was thinking…"

"About?" He asked.

"Well, I think you should have something to symbolize the songs I've written about you too," she said as she kept a hand on her necklace.

He smiled. "You do?"

"Yes, I think that I owe you a guitar pick. We just need to figure out where you'll wear it," She said thoughtfully as she turned to face him. Her eyes landed on his dog tags and she smiled softly. "You could wear it with your dog tags."

He wrapped a few fingers around her chin and gently pulled it upward. "I certainly could. Couldn't I? You know, I think I will."

She smiled at him. "Good, maybe we'll take care of that after the show tonight."

"Maybe we will," He said as he removed his hand from her chin and pulled her into a hug.

"Ella, mike check. Let's go," Caitlyn ordered. Ella nodded and pulled away from him to head out to the stage.

"I got this, Ella," Mac said with a smirk as he stole her wireless mike. "Anybody out there named Mike?" A bartender raised his hand. "There you go. We have one Mike."

Ella laughed and smacked him before she stole her mike back. A couple of stage hands came up and helped her with ear piece and mike pack. She turned to the guys.

"Let's do a song one time through, okay?"

They nodded and she looked back to wink at Nate. "Actually, I owe you two guitar picks."

His brow furrowed and he called out to her. "Two? I know you wrote 'Got Dynamite' for me but what else…"

"Naturally," She said as she nodded to Andy. He quickly kicked off a song Nate had never heard before.

The guitar and keyboards came in just before Ella began to sing.

"_How you choose to express yourself  
It's all your own and I can tell  
It comes naturally, it comes naturally._

_You follow what you feel inside._  
_It's intuitive, you don't have to try._  
_It comes naturally, mmmm, it comes naturally._  
_And it takes my breath away."_

She winked at him again and he beamed at her as the song continued. He didn't know when she'd written this, but he liked it. A lot. It might be the first time anyone had ever written a song _about_ him. And it was certainly the first time a song had been written about what someone _felt_ for him.

"_You are the thunder and I am the lightening.  
And I love the way you know who you are,  
And to me it's exciting,  
When you know it's meant to be.  
Everything comes naturally, it comes naturally,  
When you're with me, baby.  
Everything comes naturally, it comes naturally,  
Ba-ba-baby._

_You have a way of moving me.  
A force of nature, your energy,  
It comes naturally (you know it does).  
It comes naturally,  
Mmmm, yeah._

_And it takes my breath away,_  
_What you do, so naturally._

_You are the thunder and I am the lightening.  
And I love the way you know who you are,  
And to me it's exciting,  
When you know it's meant to be.  
Everything comes naturally, it comes naturally,  
When you're with me, baby.  
Everything comes naturally, it comes naturally,  
Ba-ba-baby."_

She turned toward the wings and sang the next part directly to him. She made sure to keep eye contact.

"_When we collide sparks fly.  
When you look in my eyes,  
It takes my breath away._

_You are the thunder and I am the lightening.  
And I love the way you know who you are,  
And to me it's exciting,  
When you know it's meant to be.  
Everything comes naturally, it comes naturally,  
When you're with me, baby.  
Everything comes naturally, it comes naturally,  
Ba-ba-baby."_

The song ended and Ella put her mike on the stand and rushed him with a hug. He hugged her back and lifted her feet off the ground a few inches. He spun in a short circle and kissed her deeply. He pulled back and heard her giggle.

"So, I guess you liked it?" She asked with a bright smile.

He kissed her forehead. "I _loved_ it."

"About. _Damn_. Time," Caitlyn said with a sigh as she rolled her eyes. "You're dating now right? No more of this ridiculous drama?"

Nate laughed. "That's the dream, Cait."

Chevy quirked a brow at Nate. "You and I need to have a little chat."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Chevy, it's _Nate_. No talk."

"Hey! But that's all I have! I'm the older brother! That's the only fun thing I get to do!" He pouted.

"Too bad," Ella said with a shake of her head. "Leave Nate alone."

"This is adorable and all. Congratulations, by the way, _but_ we have another new song that we desperately need to rehearse," Andy reminded them. "Can we do that before Chevy starts to interrogate poor Nate here?"

Ella chuckled and pulled herself away from Nate. "Fine. Andy's right. Mac, did you get the music?"

He nodded. "I got it. This might be my favorite song you've written, Ella."

She laughed. "It's definitely the most therapeutic."

"I don't think I've ever heard this song," Nate said suspiciously.

"I just barely finished it yesterday," Ella smirked. "Ready guys? Let's go."

The guitar started first and then Mac came in with the keyboards, and the percussion came in just before Ella began to sing to the slow, thumping beat.

"_It's not time to  
Give us one more try (I don't think so)  
Last night you  
Said your one last lie_

_I can't let you wreck my plans  
I'm planning to let you go  
Oh, only one thing is true  
Only one thing to do._

_Time to, delete you  
Burning up, all your pictures  
Tearing up, all your letters  
Ripping up, all your sweaters  
This is, this is for the better  
Slashing up, all your tires  
Smashing up, all your flowers  
Grabbing back, all my power  
Here's a button that says I don't need you, _

_Delete you  
Oh, oh, delete you, oh, oh."_

Nate smirked and chuckled lightly. It was fairly obvious who _this_ song was about. Ella was thoroughly enjoying this one. She was completely into and rocking out. He had a feelings this was going to be a _very_ good show. The entire band needed to blow off a _lot_ of steam.


	26. Chapter 26

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Six

* * *

It was the next morning and Nate certainly didn't feel rested. He'd found it hard to sleep without having Ella next to him. It was probably something he shouldn't have allowed himself to get used to, but he just couldn't help it. He'd tossed and turned all night. He wondered how Ella had slept. They'd talked on the phone just before they'd gone to bed, and he felt guilty for secretly hoping she hadn't slept well either. He'd like to think she was just as attached as he was.

He couldn't help but smile warmly as she and the rest of the band walked through his front door. Ella looked tired. Almost as if she hadn't slept at all. He smirked at her knowingly and she stuck her tongue out at him. When she got closer she leaned toward him to whisper.

"I blame _you_ for my lack of sleep. You spoiled me over the last few days."

He chuckled. "And I'm okay with that."

"So," Caitlyn said with a grin. "Are we ready to record?"

"I've got everything ready to go," Nate said with a nod. "We're recording two songs today?"

Chevy nodded. "Falling Down and Maybe."

"Good," Caitlyn said with a smile. "My phone has been ringing all morning. Someone posted a video of last night's performance on YouTube. People want demos. We're talking _real_ managers. _With experience_."

"What if we don't want another manager?" Tyler asked.

"You'll need someone who knows what they're doing," Caitlyn told him with a roll of their eyes.

"Then they'll have to co-manage," Andy said with a chuckle. "You're stuck with us, Caitlyn. For good."

Nate chuckled lightly. "You volunteered. You knew they weren't going to let you out of it that easily."

"Hush, you," Caitlyn said with a playful glare. "Did I ask for your opinion?"

Nate rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's get this show on the road."

He let the band record the backing track first. He sent them in to the booth and got to work recording the instrumentals for both songs. He'd noticed Ella watching him closely the entire day. She wasn't trying to be discrete about it either. He'd catch her watching him work and she'd just smile pleasantly. Finally, when they were taking a break he got to ask her.

"What are you doing?" He asked curiously.

"Just observing," Ella said with a grin. "I've never seen you working in the studio before. It's interesting. You know you have like _four_ different personas?"

His brow furrowed. "What?"

"Well, there's Concert Nate who's full of energy, excitement, and adrenaline. Public Appearance Nate who's full of charm and wit. Recording Session Nate who's all drive and focus and musical vision. And then Down Time Nate, he's my favorite, he's a combination of all three," Ella told him happily.

"Oh yeah?" He asked as he leaned toward her.

She nodded as his lips hovered just over hers. "Yes."

He started to lean in just as someone cleared their throat.

"Hey, love birds, we're working here. Remember?"

Nate turned and glared at Caitlyn. "You and Jason make out all the time while _we're_ trying to record."

"Yes, well, if I ever harass you with a candy wrapper while you're trying to get some sleep on a plane then I give you permission to interrupt us," Caitlyn told him with a playful glare. "Revenge is sweet, my friend."

Nate huffed but Ella chuckled and kissed his cheek. "It's my turn to record anyway, Nathaniel. And I _doubt_ you want my brother to see us getting _too_ friendly." She winked at him as she stood up and walked toward the booth.

He smiled at her in amusement before he shook his head and returned to monitoring the controls. Ella's vocals were practically perfect. They'd only need three takes on "Falling Down" and then she was done. Next were Chevy and Mac's harmonies which took a bit longer to record. Once they were happy with that they all stopped for lunch. Jamie had gone out and picked up calzones for everyone to share. Ella immediately grabbed one and spread out on Nate's couch with it. Nate smirked at her and knocked her feet off of his couch teasingly before he sat down next to her.

"Are you planning to share that, Ells?" He asked.

She let out a low thoughtful hum as she thought about her answer. "Nope. Well, not unless someone asks _nicely_, that is."

Nate rolled his eyes and nudged her shoulder. "Fine, Ella Billie Pador, will you _please_—"

"What kind of please?" She asked as she cut him off.

His brow furrowed. "What?"

"What _kind_ if please is it? Is it a regular 'please' that you don't really mean _or_ is it a _pretty_ please?" She asked with a grin. She leaned toward him and whispered dramatically. "Bonus points if you add a cherry on top."

"You're not going to make me say all of that, are you?" Nate asked.

Ella shrugged and smiled victoriously. "Only if you wanna eat."

He sighed and spoke up reluctantly. "Ella Billie Pador, will you _pretty _please…" He paused for a moment and Ella watched him expectantly. "With a cherry on top, share your calzone with me?"

Ella chuckled and nodded. "Of course, there's no need to beg, Nate."

He laughed and shook his head at her. "Has anyone ever told you that you're evil?"

"On more than one occasion, yes."

She set the box in between them and then stood back up.

"Where are you going?" Nate asked.

"To get plates and a knife to cut it with. Unless you want tomato sauce, crumbs, and cheese all over your couch, that is," Ella said with a smirk.

Nate laughed. "No I don't. But let me get it. You sit. It's my house."

Ella shook her head. "No, I got it. I remember where the stuff is. I can do it."

She turned and headed straight for his kitchen and he watched as she found the appropriate cabinets on the first try. She already knew the layout of his kitchen. He wasn't sure why, but he found that very attractive. He smiled brightly at her as she approached and she gave him a strange look.

"What's with the grin?" She asked.

"I just like having you here," He said honestly. "That's all."

She blushed and smiled. "I like _being_ here."

They finished lunch in relative silence before the calzone was gone and the box was empty. Nate leaned toward her once everyone else appeared to be finished and whispered a question to her. "After we finish up today, will you stay? We could have dinner, watch a movie…"

She smiled softly and whispered her response back to him. "Yes."

Nate grinned and nodded. "Good."

The second song, "Maybe", was recorded even faster than the first. Ella only needed one take. Nate had never been more impressed with her or proud of her. The guys took a little longer but now that they'd all been warmed up it took a lot less time to record. They were finished just before seven that night. Every one was headed out the door and Jamie and Chevy stopped to give Ella questioning looks.

"Are you coming, El?" Chevy asked.

"Um, no," Ella answered as she looked over at Nate and grinned. "I've got a date."

Chevy sighed. "Right." He turned and pointed a finger at Nate. "Don't do anyting stupid. I like you, but she's still my sister."

Nate blushed slightly and nodded. "Got it."

Jamie gave Ella a stern look. "Call me if you need to go home and do _not_ leave this house without me. Understood?"

Ella nodded. "Completely."

"Alright then," Jamie said as he visibly relaxed. "If you need me I'll be at the hotel taking a very long nap."

Nate chuckled as he walked them both to the door. "Have fun with that, buddy."

"Oh, believe me, after dealing with you nutcases all day it's going to be _great_," Jamie said with a smirk.

"Hey! I am not a nutcase!" Chevy said defensively.

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Were you or were you not the one who spent the entire flight playing an entire song on your _invisible_ guitar?"

"It's called air guitar," Chevy said as he turned to walk away.

"No, it's _air_ guitar when you're 'playing' along _with_ music. Not when you're envisioning hearing the music _in your head_," Jamie said as he shook his head and followed Chevy down Nate's front steps. "Therefore, _nutcase_."

Once they were down the steps Nate quickly shut his door, and turned to smile at Ella. "Now that we're alone…"

Her eyebrows rose and she looked as though she were going to say something but Nate interrupted her. He dipped his head and quickly captured her lips with his. Ella made a surprised noise before she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up on her tip toes to deepen the kiss. Nate backed them up toward his couch and held Ella tighter as he allowed them both to fall back over the arm rest. Ella squealed softly into his mouth and then giggled against his lips as she pulled back a little. Nate grinned before he pulled her back into the kiss and wrapped his arms around waist. His fingers had just slipped under the hem of Ella's shirt when her stomach growled loudly.

Nate pulled back and laughed softly at the embarrassed expression on her face. "Hungry, Ella?"

She buried her red face in his shirt and nodded against his chest. She said something, but it was muffled against his shirt.

"What was that?"

She looked up at him and smiled shyly. "Starving."

"Well, I guess now that I've _finally_ gotten to kiss you we can order something. I've been wanting to do that since you walked through the door this morning, by the way," Nate told her. "It's been very difficult not to."

Ella smiled brightly at him. "I wouldn't have minded."

"But I think your brother would have," Nate said with a smirk.

Ella shrugged and grinned. "He would've gotten over it, but I do appreciate your sacrifice."

"You should, Pador," Nate said as he watched her start to sit up and adjust her shirt. "You don't make it easy on me, you know."

Ella laughed and winked at him. "If I made it too easy then you wouldn't feel the need to pounce on me like you just did, and I _thoroughly_ enjoy the pouncing."

Nate smirked at her in amusement. "I'll remember that in the future. So, what would you like for dinner?"

"Chinese?" Ella asked. "I have a sudden craving for pork egg rolls."

Nate nodded as he sat up too. "Chinese it is. Other than egg rolls what would you like?"

"Sesame chicken and mixed vegetables if you don't mind," Ella said with a smile. "Do you mind if I pick out a movie while you order?"

"Go for it," Nate told her. "The DVDs are in the entertainment center drawer underneath the television."

"I hope you have something other than obnoxiously loud action movies," Ella told him with a wink as she stood up and walked over to his entertainment center.

"Do Bond films count as obnoxiously loud?" Nate asked as he pulled out his phone and walked toward the kitchen and his take out menu drawer.

"Depends on which Bond you're referring to," Ella said as she opened the drawer and glanced over his movies. "If it's Connery, Dalton, or Brosnan then yes. Lazenby, Moore, or Craig—no."

Nate froze as his fingers began to dial the number and looked over to where Ella was looking through the drawer with her back to him. "Y—you know the names of the actors who have played James Bond?"

Ella looked over her shoulder at him and gave him a strange look. "Yes. Why? Should I not know that?"

"No, no. Most girls don't, though," Nate said with a smirk.

"Well, Nathaniel, as you might have figured out by now, I'm not most girls," Ella told him with a grin.

"Okay, I'm glad we're going to be alone for the rest of the night," Nate said with a chuckle. "I will be kissing you again _very_ shortly."

Nate called in their order and they started a movie while they waited. Ella leaned against the arm rest and laid her legs across Nate's lap. Nate grinned at her and rested his arms on top of her legs. He reached for her feet and Ella pulled them away from his hands.

"What are you doing?"

"I was going to take your shoes off," Nate said as he gave her an amused look. "Is that a problem?"

"No, I guess not," Ella said hesitantly. "I just…haven't had time for a pedicure lately."

Nate rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Let me tell you a secret, Ella, guys don't _really_ pay attention to pedicures. To us…feet are just that—_feet_."

"I just like for my feet to look cute when people see them," She said. "That's all."

"I'm sure they're fine," Nate said with a smile and a shake of his head. Ella relaxed again and tried to return her attention to the movie as Nate pulled her shoes off and dropped them onto the floor. His hand slipped up the leg of her jeans and reached to pull the sock off of her right foot. She looked over at him as he slowly peeled it off of her and tossed aside. She looked away and back at the movie again as he reached for the other one. A few minutes she almost let out a deeply satisfied moan as he started to rub and massage her feet.

"Oh God, that's amazing," Ella said as she closed her eyes and slumped against the couch.

Nate chuckled at her. "Do you _ever_ wear comfortable shoes?"

"I'm short," Ella said lamely. "I need the extra height."

"See, men can't use that excuse. Not really. A guy that wears lifts in his shoes is automatically laughed at and shamed," Nate said with an amused grin.

"Speaking from experience, Nate?" Ella asked with a teasing smirk.

"Do you want me to quit rubbing your feet, Ms. Pador?"

"No! Don't you dare."

"Keep teasing me and I just might," He threatened.

The phone rang and Ella whined as Nate let go of her foot and answered the phone. It was security letting him know the delivery man should be at the door soon with the food. He hung up and gently lifted Ella's feet off his lap as he stood up and then placed them back down on the couch.

"We'll finish this later," He said with a wink.

Ella paused the movie as the doorbell rang. Nate paid for the food and took it into the kitchen. Ella joined him and pulled out two glasses to pour them some drinks while Nate pulled out the containers and figured out what was in each container.

"Oh God, that smells so good," Ella said as she leaned on Nate's shoulder and took a big whiff of the food. "I'm so hungry."

He chuckled and handed her the container of sesame chicken. "Then I believe this is yours, yes?"

Ella nodded and kissed his cheek before she took the container from his hands and grabbed chopsticks out of the bag.

"You're not actually going to use those, are you?" He asked.

"Yes, why wouldn't I? I mean don't you _have_ to when you eat Chinese food?" Ella asked with a grin. "I feel like it's a rule, and if it isn't then it should be."

"Not for me," Nate said with a shake of his head. "I can't use them. No matter how many times I try."

"You can't use chopsticks?" Ella asked as she tried to hide a grin with her hand. "Playing drums and guitar are no problem, but _chopsticks_ are an issue?"

"Go ahead, laugh," Nate said as he pulled a fork out of the silverware drawer. "You know you want to."

"Maybe I'll buy you some training chopsticks the next time I'm in Chinatown," Ella said with a light laugh.

He chuckled and shook his head at her. "Get it all out now."

"Some pretty pink ones with bows and flowers on them," Ella said as she continued to laugh.

"I thought you were _hungry_?" Nate asked as he pointed to the container she'd yet to touch.

"Oh, I am, but teasing you comes first," Ella said with a chuckle.

He rolled his eyes and laughed lightly. "I think you've taken care of that, Ells. Shall we get back to the movie?"

"Fine, if we must," Ella said as she tried not to smile teasingly at him.

"Keep going and I'll never give you another foot rub ever again," Nate said with a challenging look.

"Oh," Ella said with a mock-glare. "You play dirty."

He grinned and nodded. "You have no idea."

They moved back into the living room with the take out containers to finish the movie. Once they were full they paused the movie to clean and put things away, and then sat back down on the couch. Ella was tired. It had been a long day, and now she was warm and content and comfortable. She didn't want to drift off, but she couldn't really help it. Nate felt Ella's head fall onto his shoulder and he smiled warmly at her.

He wasn't lying earlier in the day when he told her he enjoyed having her around. He _loved_ having her around because he loved _her_. But Ella wasn't there quite yet. He _knew_ that. He was getting impatient though. He wanted her and he wanted _all _of her. He wanted to know that she felt as strongly about him as he felt about her. She was getting closer. He could tell. He just had to wait a bit longer.

He could be patient. He could wait for that. _For her_.


	27. Chapter 27

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Seven

* * *

Ella ended up spending the night that night. Both she and Nate fell asleep on the couch before the movie ended. They were woken up by Nate's cell phone ringing. He groaned and groggily answered.

"Hullo?"

"Is Ella with you?"

"Huh? Who is this?" Nate asked as he opened one eye. He looked down at the dark head that rested on his chest and grinned softly. He gently leaned toward Ella and kissed the top of her head.

"It's Caitlyn. Jamie wants to make sure she followed the rules," Caitlyn said crossly. "He's been bugging me all morning."

Nate yawned before he answered. "Yeah, she's here. We watched a movie and fell asleep."

Caitlyn chuckled. "Sure you did."

"No, really, we did," Nate answered as he rolled his eyes.

Caitlyn paused. "Really? You're kidding me, right? Please tell me you're kidding."

"What would you rather hear, Caitlyn?" Nate asked with a huff.

Ella shifted from where she slept curled up against him and whined softly. He tightened his free arm around her.

"I'd like to hear that you finally took some initiative and made a _real_ move on the girl, my friend. Do something to make it _official_," Caitlyn told him.

"And what would that be?" He asked.

"I don't know. You're the one that's dating her. You figure it out," Caitlyn said with a huff. "I've gotta go. My call waiting is beeping. Make sure you get her back to the hotel in time to pack up her stuff for our flight tomorrow morning."

Caitlyn hung up abruptly and Nate sighed and placed his phone back on the coffee table.

"Whowasat?" Ella mumbled as she squinted at him and yawned.

"Caitlyn. She was making sure you were still alive," Nate told her with a grin. "Sleep well?"

She hummed contentedly and nodded against his chest. "Oh yes, I had a good pillow. You?"

He smirked and nodded. "Pretty well, yeah. The company was definitely a plus."

"So," Ella said with a smirk. "What's for breakfast?"

He chuckled. "Why do I feel like all we've talked about the last couple of days is food?"

Ella laughed merrily. "A girl's gotta eat, Nathaniel. Do you have eggs and bacon and stuff?"

Nate shook his head. "Not while we're on tour. I've got bagels and cream cheese though, and I think my maid picked up some produce for me before I got back. I thought I saw some tomatoes and apples."

"Perfect," Ella said with a smile. "We can make something out of that."

They had breakfast and then Nate regretfully had to get to work on finishing the mixes of "Falling Down" and "Maybe". Ella stayed to observe, and to make sure Nate didn't over work himself. She remembered from their camp days that he had a tendency to do that, and she was determined to make sure he didn't lock himself in the studio. Somehow he finished the mixes in record time. Ella claimed it was because he was able to refresh his mind more often by taking a small break every hour or so. Nate didn't know if that was really it, but he knew it almost _certainly_ had to do with Ella. He made the number of CDs that Caitlyn had requested, and then put them in an envelope for Ella to take back with her when Jamie came to pick her up in an hour.

"So," Ella said as she and Nate settled on the couch. "What's Caitlyn going to do with these CDs?"

"She said she wanted to mail them out to labels and management companies."

Ella's eyes widened. "Like labels as in _record_ labels? Somewhere that would _pay us_ to record an album?"

Nate chuckled at her and put an arm around her shoulders. "You're in the big time now, Ella. You better get used to that. I have a feeling Ella Pador & The Times is _really_ going places."

Ella bit her bottom lip nervously. "Going places, huh? What if something happens and…Chevy and I have to leave the tour for something?"

Nate sighed and gulped. The thought had crossed his mind, but he preferred to avoid it whenever he could. "Well…"

"That could happen, right?"

"That could definitely happen," He told her.

"What would we do?" Ella asked. "I mean, what would happen with _us_?"

His brow furrowed. "I don't see how anything would change."

"We wouldn't get to see each other all the time, Nate."

"But it wouldn't be forever. I don't think it will be a problem," He told her. "No, wait, I won't _let_ it be a problem. We'll figure it out—_together_."

"Then," Ella said with a small smile. "This won't end?"

Nate shook his head and pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek. "No, not if I have anything to say about it."

* * *

The next morning Nate, Caitlyn, Chevy, and Ella caught a flight out of LA and met the tour in Salt Lake City. As soon as they arrived Nate was pulled away for promotional interviews and Ella had to attend Headline's sound check. The sound check went well and almost immediately afterward Chevy handed Van a copy of their demo. Van motioned both his kids into Headline's green room and popped the CD into the stereo. Dale walked in the room just as "Falling Down" started and he joined Van on the couch as they both listened. Once they'd finished both songs the two men looked up at Chevy and Ella and smiled proudly.

"If you're not signed sometime soon then the music industry has truly gone to pot," Dale said as he stood up patted their backs.

"Who wrote these songs?" Van asked. "They're amazing."

Ella smiled proudly and flushed slightly. "Nate."

"He seems to really understand your voice, Bella-Ella," Van said as he stood up and hugged his daughter. He kissed her forehead before giving Chevy a quick hug as well. "The demo sounds great. How long did it take to record?"

"One day," Chevy said as he smiled proudly at his sister. "Ella never exceeded three takes."

"I just know these songs really well," Ella said with a blush. "That's all."

"Well," Van said with a bright smile. "I have a feeling your band has a big future ahead of you."

"Thank you, daddy," Ella said as she hugged him and kissed his cheek.

There was a knock on the door and it was the make up artists coming to get Van and Dale to get them ready for the concert. Ella and Chevy quietly excused themselves, and Ella headed to her own dressing room where she would wait for someone to come and do _her_ make up and hair. The concert went off without a hitch and once their sets were over everyone headed to their own buses. From there the buses made their way to Seattle where they would check into their hotel.

* * *

It was late when they finally left and Connect Three's bus was still at least an hour away from arriving in Seattle. Ella left with Headline and they'd _just_ arrived and checked in. Nate hoped she could manage to stay awake for another hour. He wanted to talk to her before he went to bed. He was staring anxiously at the time on his phone when he was suddenly hit in the face with a pillow.

"Call her, idiot. She has a cell for a reason."

"I want to see her in _person_, Caitlyn," Nate said as he rolled his eyes.

"Well, that won't happen for another hour," Caitlyn told him. "You might as well call her in the meantime. That way your obsessive habits won't annoy me."

Nate rolled his eyes and looked back down at his phone.

Caitlyn huffed and grabbed Jason's hand. She pulled him up from the couch and headed to the tiny hallway. "Come on, Jase. We're going to the back of the bus where I don't have to watch your brother drive himself insane for absolutely _no reason_."

"Fine, but can we lock the door to the back common room while we're in there?" Jason asked with a smirk.

"Of course," Caitlyn said with a smirk. "We don't want _him_ interrupting our fun, do we?"

"And listen to him complain about how we've scarred him for the rest of his life?" Jason asked. "No, definitely not."

Shane had retreated to his bunk to call Mitchie and now that Jason and Caitlyn were _distracted_ he knew he could call Ella without any threat to his privacy. He called her quickly and leaned back across the couch.

"Hello?" Ella answered.

"Hey," Nate said with a smile.

"Hey!" She said brightly. "How far away are you guys?"

"About an hour," Nate told her. "Think you'll be able to stay up that much longer?"

She hesitated before she answered. "I don't know, Nate. It's been a really long day, but I'll try."

"You've already dozed off once, haven't you?" Nate asked with a knowing grin.

"Unfortunately yes," Ella told him. "I'm exhausted."

He let out an understanding sigh before he spoke again. "Right."

"Is there something specific you want to talk about?"

"No," He told her. "I just wanted to see you, that's all."

She chuckled. "You know, you can be unbearably sweet when you want to be."

He chuckled. "It's part of my charm."

He heard Ella yawn and shook his head at her.

"Ella, don't try and stay up just for me. Get some sleep if you're worn out. I'll see you in the morning."

"Do you have any interviews tomorrow?" Ella asked in a sleepy tone.

"Yes, but we have a break in the schedule from 10 until 12," He told her. "I could come over then and we could order a late breakfast to the room. How does that sound?"

"Sounds perfect," Ella said slowly. He could tell she was about to drift off again.

He smiled softly as he spoke. "Go to sleep, Ells. I'll see you tomorrow."

"You promise?" She asked.

He nodded before he answered into the phone. "Promise."

"Good night, Nate," Ella said softly.

"Sweet dreams, Ella," Nate said as they both hung up their phones.

His own exhaustion hit him then and he decided Ella wasn't the only one who needed to sleep. He crawled into his bunk and went right to sleep. He'd get an hour of sleep and then move to a _real_ bed once they arrived in Seattle.

* * *

Ella's cell phone rang very early the next morning and one look at the alarm clock by her bed told her it couldn't be Nate calling. It was 7 in the morning and he said they had early morning interviews.

"Hello?" She answered groggily.

"Ella, its Tina."

Ella sat up straight and leaned against the headboard. "Oh, hey, Tina. Don't tell me someone got a picture of me and Nate. We didn't go anywhere for them _to_ get a picture-"

"This isn't about Nate, sweetie."

Ella gulped. "It isn't?"

"It's about Colby."

Ella's eyes widened and she just knew that if she looked in the mirror at that moment she'd be paler than the moon. "Oh, God. What happened?"

"He posted on his blog this morning," Tina said with a sigh. "About you."

"About me?" Ella asked.

"And your family."

Ella shut her eyes and whined. "Why can't he just _leave me alone_? What did he say?"

"He posted lyrics from a song he says you and Chevy wrote about your parents," Tina told her.

"What? No, that's impossible. The only people who know that song even exists is the band, Caitlyn, and Nate."

"Is it called, 'How Do You Love Someone?'" Tina asked.

Ella felt tears suddenly springing to her eyes. This couldn't be happening. She and Chevy had cut that song from their performance list. It was too personal, and it didn't reflect well on their parents. Sure, their parents weren't the best parents in the world, but at least they cared. No one had ever doubted _that_, but that song gave a very different impression. It was a song that was written when the two of them were very young and very angry. It would kill their parents if they ever found out about it.

"Oh God, no," Ella said with a pathetic groan. "No! If our parents find out about that song they'll _hate_ us!"

Tina sighed. "I'm sorry, Ella. I really am. For now, I'll say we have no comment. I'll need to get a hold of Chevy and your dad eventually though."

"I—I'll go find Chevy right now. Thanks for the heads up, Tina," Ella said sadly.

"No problem, girl. This guy will get his someday. Let's just hope it's soon," Tina said as she hung up.

Ella frantically threw on a robe over her pajamas and rushed next door to Chevy's room. She knocked loudly and waited impatiently. Finally, he came to the door and blinked at her with sleep still in his eyes.

"Ella?"

"We need to talk," Ella said as she pushed past him into his room and shut the door behind her. "I just got a call from Tina. We have a problem."

"I'm guessing this is a Colby problem?" Chevy asked.

Ella gulped and nodded. She took a deep breath and reluctantly spoke up. "He found about 'How Do You Love Someone?' somehow. I—I don't know how. There were only a handful of people who—"

Chevy's face was blank as her interrupted her. "Did he write about it?"

Ella nodded slowly. "On his blog."

Chevy's jaw tightened. "Of course he did. God, Ella, _why_ did you have to trust this guy? What are we supposed to do now? Dad's _gonna_ find out. Eddy will _make sure_ of that. You know he thinks we're nothing but bad press for dad, and it turns out that he just _might_ be right after all. Dammit, Ella, you really need to be more careful about who you trust. Because _you_ had some kind of crush on this guy he knows way too many of our secrets and now he knows things that were _just_ supposed to be between _us_. How did that happen, Ella?"

"I—I don't know! He was never at our rehearsals, and I never told him about the song! I swear! I mean the only time he even came near it was that day Nate and I met him for coffee—_oh God_—"

"What?" Chevy asked with a frustrated sigh.

"I had the music with me. I brought it into the shop, but I never showed it to him. It was in my bag. You don't think that he—"

"Took it out of your bag when you weren't paying attention?" Chevy asked. "Well, he must have, Ella."

She bit her bottom lip and her eyes welled up. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I never thought—It didn't occur to me that he would—"

"That's the problem. You didn't think. You just assumed you could trust him. You _never_ think. I mean, why did I have to come out here to begin with? Because you didn't think and ended up trashed and dancing on top of a bar! You _messed up, _Ella. This is serious. This isn't your reputation—this is _our family_. I wouldn't put it past Colby to _exaggerate_ either. People are going to think we grew up in a very _dangerous_ situation. What is that going to do to dad's career? Hell, mom's a _principal_, Ella. At a school. _This _will not be good for her career either. How could you let this _happen_?" Colby yelled as he paced in front of her. Ella glanced down at the floor and tried to ignore _the feeling_ of his glare on her. "I have never been more disappointed in you, Ella. Never."

She looked up at him in shock. "What? But I didn't do anything! I didn't tell him to tell the whole world about our song! I didn't even _tell_ him about the song! How could I possibly have stopped him from—"

"I can't do this right now, Ella. I have to call mom and dad and start trying to fix this. Please _leave_," Chevy said with a huff. She heard him mumble something under his breath as she left. "And once again I'm cleaning up after you."

She slammed his door and then retreated back to her own room. What just happened? Chevy had _never_ yelled at her like that. He'd _never_ been disappointed in her! He was the only person who was always on her side! And now, when she felt completely betrayed by someone she had trusted, he decided turn on her?

Just a few hours ago she'd been in a great mood. Everyone was complimenting her and supporting her, and now her _biggest_ supporter no longer wanted anything to do with her. She took a deep shuddering breath and collapsed on her bed.

What had she _ever _done to Colby to deserve this?

* * *

Nate, his bandmates, and all of Headline were waiting at the large market radio station in the Seattle area to do an interview when he noticed, Eddy, Headline's manager pull Van aside and hand him several pages that looked as though they were printed from a computer. Van glanced over them and then looked up with a hurt expression. His eyes flashed with something and he threw the papers into the nearest trashcan. Nate's brow furrowed at the display and he quickly made his way to the trashcan to pick up whatever it was Van had thrown away.

Nate glared at the title and the author's name.

"Tripping on the Past" by Colby Miller

Nate scanned the article just as Van had done and immediately understood. Colby knew about the song. The song that the band had rehearsed but never dared to play in front of anyone due to its highly personal nature. They'd even made _him_ leave the room whenever they rehearsed it. He'd read the lyrics but never heard the song. No one really knew he'd read the lyrics either. He'd had to be very sneaky.

And he guessed Colby had been too since he'd written a whole article based on it. That's _all_ this article was based on. Everything else was exaggerated fiction. He'd made it sound as if Ella and Chevy grew up in a very volatile situation. Nate crumpled the papers and threw them away. He couldn't believe how much nerve Colby had. They still had about fifteen minutes before the interview started so Nate quickly dialed Ella's number.

She didn't answer. He sighed and called Tina. Hopefully Tina had warned her.

"Nate, don't worry, I'm on it," Tina said as she answered her phone. "I called Ella as soon as I saw it this morning."

"How did she take it?" Nate asked worriedly.

"Hard to tell. I think she was in shock mostly. When we hung up she said she was going to go talk to her brother. I haven't heard from her since," Tina told him.

"When was this?"

"About an hour ago."

"I don't like this," Nate said.

"What?"

"I _just_ called her and she didn't answer," Nate said with a sigh.

"Maybe she's talking to Chevy or her dad."

"Her dad just left. I doubt they're talking just yet."

"Well, Nate, I don't think there's much you can do right now. You've got interviews, remember?" Tina reminded him.

"Screw interviews, Tina. This is Ella."

Tina sighed. "You're gonna make my job harder right now, aren't you?"

"Sorry. I don't have much of a choice. I have a feeling this is going to get _bad_," Nate told her. "I gotta go."

"Nate, don't you dare hang up on—"

Nate hung up his phone and headed over to where Jason and Shane were sitting.

"Guys, I need a favor," Nate asked with a hopeful look.

"What's up?" Jason asked.

"Colby strikes again," Nate said as he jaw tensed. "Can you cover for me? I have a feeling Ella's going to need me around today."

Shane nodded immediately. "No problem, man. Go."

"We'd do the same for Mitchie and Caity," Jason agreed. "It won't be a problem."

"I really appreciate this," Nate said as he patted their shoulders. "Thanks, guys."

"No worries," Jason said. "Just call us and keep us up to date on everything."

"Will do, see you later," Nate said as he sprinted from the radio station and found a cab to take him back to the hotel.


	28. Chapter 28

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

_Chapter Twenty Eight_

* * *

Nate stopped in the hotel gift shop before he headed upstairs to Ella's room. He bought things he knew she'd like (Vitamin Water, all types of gummy candy, and a small bag of chocolate covered cashews). He slowly approached her hotel room door and knocked hesitantly.

He heard movement on the other side of the door, but it never budged.

"Ella?" He said softly.

"Go away, Nate," Ella said shakily from inside the room.

"Come on, please let me in," Nate said. "I know about Colby's new post."

There was a moment's hesitation before she responded. "A-are you here to lecture me?"

"Lecture you?" Nate asked. "Why would I do that? This _isn't _your fault, Ells."

After a few seconds he heard the latch turn and then the door opened. He was met with a puffy and red eyed Ella. She looked up at him nervously and moved aside to allow him in. He shut the door behind him and set his plastic bag down on her bed.

"Okay, what happened?" Nate asked worriedly as he watched her sniffle.

"Nothing, I'm fine," She lied.

Nate sighed and wrapped his arms around her. "C'mon, Ella, tell me what happened because it's easy to see that you are _not_ fine."

"Chevy hates me," Ella said softly.

"I'm sure he doesn't hat—"

"He yelled at me, Nate! He was very clear about his feelings. He thinks I'm irresponsible and he's sick of cleaning up after me. He…he thinks I'm stupid," Ella told him as she buried her head in his chest.

Nate glared at the adjoining wall between Ella and Chevy's rooms. "Did he actually _say_ that to you?"

"Not in so many words, but I—I know that's what he meant."

"Maybe I should go talk to him—"

"No! Don't! It's fine."

"Ella, I don't care who he is he shouldn't talk to you like that. None of this is your fault. We all trusted Colby. Not all of us _liked_ him, but we trusted him," Nate told her. "Chevy has no reason to blame you for this."

Ella groaned and bit her bottom lip. "I don't want to think about this anymore. Distract me? Please?"

He smiled at her reassuringly and kissed the top of her head. "Sure, Ells. What would you like to do?"

"Well, for starters, I'd like to know what's in the bag," Ella said with a small grin.

Nate chuckled and handed the bag to her. "Take a look for yourself."

Ella smirked at him. "These are all of my favorite things."

"I thought you might need a pick-me-up," Nate said honestly.

"And you'd be right," Ella told him. "Are you up for a movie?"

"I'm up for whatever you want," Nate told her. "Do you want to just pig out on your junk food or would you like to order room service?"

"Right now I just want to lie down and watch a movie with you. I'll worry about food later," Ella said with a sigh.

Nate smiled softly at her and nodded. The two of them settled onto her bed and picked a movie. Ella snuggled into Nate's side and before they were even half an hour in she was passed out and sleeping soundly. Nate observed her swollen eyes and untamed hair for a few minutes before he slipped out of bed. He swiped Ella's room key off of her nightstand and headed next door to Chevy's room. He had a few things he needed to say.

* * *

Chevy finally hung up his phone. He'd been trying to call his mother and father since Ella had left his room hours earlier. Neither were taking his calls. He'd read the article and it was bad. Worse than he'd feared. Colby was doing his best to make himself and Ella sound like victims of abuse. Sure, they hadn't had the best childhood, but it wasn't _dangerous_.

There was a pounding knock on his door and he looked through the peep hole. He groaned when he saw a very angry looking Nate on the other side.

"What do you want Nate?" Chevy asked through the door.

"We need to talk," Nate said sternly. "Now."

"No offense, Nate, but I think all of this is between myself and Ella."

"Chevy, she's been crying. And she thinks you hate her," Nate said in a very tense tone. "What the _hell_ did you say to her?"

Chevy sighed and opened his door and motioned Nate inside. Once the door was closed he tried to explain himself. "She _let_ this guy get a hold of our music, Nate! Our parents won't take my calls because _her_ ex blabbed to the press!"

"Are you kidding me with this?" Nate asked. He shook his head as he continued. "Do you _honestly_ think Ella would _knowingly_ let that happen? Clearly, Colby _stole_ the music from her. She didn't _let_ him have anything."

"Still! If it wasn't for her he wouldn't _have_ the music!" Chevy said with a huff.

"You know what I think?" Nate said with a frustrated sigh. "I think you're angry with yourself. I think _you think_ you should have been able to stop this somehow or that you shouldn't have let the song be written. I think you're mad at yourself and you're taking it out on Ella. Do you realize that you've pretty much _crushed_ her?"

Chevy rolled his eyes. "She'll get over it."

"You don't get it, do you?" Nate asked. "You're her _hero_."

Chevy scoffed and shook his head. "I am not."

"Yes, _you are_. You're the one person who has stuck by her through everything. You're her rock, and whatever you said to her this morning _hurt _her," Nate told him. "If I were you I'd apologize."

"I don't have time for this," Chevy told him. "I have to do some damage control. Can we deal with this later?"

It was Nate's turn to roll his eyes and he spoke up sarcastically. "Fine, I'll go. It's just your sister's feelings. I mean, what does that matter in the long run, anyway?"

Nate stormed out of Chevy's room and slammed the door behind him. Chevy groaned and collapsed on his bed. This whole situation was ridiculous. When did this become his life? Fame, gossip, tabloids…

This had to be someone else's life. It could not be his own.

There was another knock at his door only this one was softer and gentler. He didn't bother looking because he knew it couldn't be Nate, and apparently Ella was too emotional to talk to him at the moment. So, clearly, it was someone more pleasant.

His eyes widened and he smiled gratefully at the face that greeted him. "Peggy!"

She smiled sadly at him. "Hey, Chev. I, um, bumped into Nate."

Chevy sighed and motioned her inside. "Ignore him. He's moody."

"He said that you and Ella are fighting?"

"I don't want to talk about that, Pegs," Chevy said as he closed his hotel room door.

"Well, that's too bad," Peggy said with a sigh. "That's the only reason I rushed out here. I thought you might need some moral support right now. So, what happened with Ella?"

"The only way Colby could have gotten that song is if he got it from _her_. She needs to be more careful, Peggy. How are we going to fix this with mom and dad? Neither one of them are taking my calls!" Chevy said frantically as he began to pace in front of her. "I don't think…I don't know if I can make this better this time. I've _always_ been able to fix things. Especially when it comes to Ella. _I'm_ the one that takes care of her, and I couldn't do that this time and all because she formed some ill conceived attachment to a self serving _jack ass_."

Peggy let him ramble all the while contemplating her response. She'd come to lend Chevy her support to _help_ him repair the damage that had been done, but he'd managed to make things worse before she'd arrived. "Chevy, isn't that even more reason for you and Ella to _ban together_ right now? You need each other in order to fix this, and _she_ needs you. _She's_ the one that's been betrayed in all of this. She trusted Colby and he used that against her. Your little sister needs _you_. She doesn't need you to be the responsible one or the guy that saves the day. She just needs _you_. She needs to know you understand and that you have her back. That you're _there_. I think you're upset at yourself and having trouble accepting that things have changed between you and Ella."

His brow furrowed. "Changed? How have things changed?"

"She doesn't need you to save her. She needs you to help her save _herself_," Peggy told him. "She's grown up, and I don't think you've come to terms with that yet. This situation isn't her fault. She couldn't have seen this coming, and neither could you. You couldn't have stopped this from happening. You didn't _fail_ her and she didn't fail you. This is _all_ Colby. He turned out to be less of a man than we all gave him credit for. You _should_ be mad at him. Not Ella. She deserves an apology from you, Chevy. What you did earlier today was hurtful and selfish. You basically used her as your own personal scratching post, and that's not right. You know it's not right."

Chevy buried his head in his hands and rested his elbows on his knees as he sat down. "Nate said she thinks I hate her. I don't hate her. I couldn't hate her."

Peggy linked her arm through his and rested her head on his shoulder. "You just need to talk this out with her. She'll understand."

Chevy moved to stand up but Peggy pulled him back down to the bed. "Not now, Chev. Nate said he finally got her to rest a bit. Let her be until after the show. She needs all the peace and quiet she can get right now."

Chevy nodded reluctantly and grabbed Peggy's hand. He laced his fingers through hers and smiled softly. "Thank you for coming, Peggy. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't."

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be. Honest," She said as she squeezed his hand reassuringly.

* * *

Nate closed the door softly as he re-entered the room. He heard Ella shuffling before her quiet and tired voice startled him.

"You went to talk to Chevy, didn't you?"

Nate sighed. "I had to, Ells. He hurt you."

"Nate, I asked you not to," Ella said with a sigh.

"He's your brother and he treated you unfairly. Somebody had to say something and you're far too nice to say it yourself," Nate told her as he slid into bed beside her.

"He was right, though, Nate," Ella told him. "All of this is my fault."

"If you say that one more time I will have no choice but to tickle you a little bit," Nate threatened as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her toward him.

Ella chuckled at him. "That is a very weak threat, Nathaniel."

"Weak?" He asked defensively. "Do you want me to follow through with it? Because I

will."

"Wow, you know, if someone in our camp days had said to me 'Someday Nate Black will threaten you with tickling.' I would have laughed in their face. Somehow Nate Black and the word 'tickle' don't sound like they should be in the same sentence," Ella said with a teasing grin.

Nate suddenly poked her side and Ella squealed. She tried to wiggle away from him but his arms had her trapped against him.

"Sto-_op_!" She whined as she laughed. She continued to laugh as Nate continued to tickle her until she finally managed to squirm away from him and get up from the bed. "You're mean!"

"Hey! You asked for it," Nate said with a grin. "You called my threat weak, and I don't appreciate that."

Nate crawled out of the bed and literally backed Ella into a corner. Her back hit the wall and she gave Nate a worried look. "Nate, what are you doing?"

He smirked and wrapped his arms around her before pulling her toward him for an impulsive kiss. She fisted his shirt collar in her hands and melted into the kiss as he deepened it by forcing her lips apart. For the first time in that entire day neither Colby nor Chevy plagued her thoughts. Somehow, Nate always did that to her. He made her focus on the here and now. When she was with him she lived in the present, and that present _always_ seemed wonderful.

* * *

Ella and Nate had gone over to the venue together for the concert, and once Headline's set was finished Ella had Jamie take her back to the hotel. She was beyond tired and just wanted to crash. She passed out almost as soon as her head hit the pillow and the only time she woke up during the night was when Nate came by her room to check on her. He had her extra key and she woke up as he entered the room and the door closed behind him. She wasn't at all surprised when he crawled into the bed next to her and pulled her toward him. She happily snuggled into his chest and drifted back to sleep.

She woke up seven hours later and felt much better about her life. She'd discovered that waking up next to Nate always put her in a good mood. Nate was still out cold, though. Ella nuzzled his neck and trailed a few kisses up his jaw to try and wake him up. She only half succeeded. Nate shifted and buried his face in the crook of her neck in response. He mumbled something sleepily and she chuckled. He kissed her neck lightly a couple of times before he drifted back to sleep. She blushed and gave her heart a moment to calm down before carefully crawled out of his arms. She kissed his forehead and then hopped in the shower.

No one on the tour had any plans other than the show tonight. They'd all been given the day off to do whatever they wanted, and what Ella wanted…was to talk to Chevy. Maybe he'd cooled off enough to let her _beg_ for his forgiveness. She hadn't meant for him to be dragged into all of this mess with Colby but there was no denying that it was her fault he'd been involved in it. She wasn't expecting forgiveness. She just wanted him to understand.

When she stepped out of the bathroom twenty five minutes later Nate was up and watching some sort of morning news program. She walked by him in a towel and he whistled appreciatively.

"I wish I'd have known that was your wardrobe for today," Nate said with a smrik. "I would have dressed to match."

She rolled her eyes teasingly and smacked his arm as she passed him. "You're evil."

"No, Caitlyn is evil. I _am not_ evil," Nate corrected her. "If I were evil I'd probably try to make a move on you right now. But I'm not Caitlyn and therefore I have some sense of self control."

Ella laughed as she dug her clothes out of her suitcase. "I'm so telling her you said that."

"Go ahead," Nate said with a shrug. "She knows it's true. In fact, I think she's _proud_ of it."

Once Ella had decided on her outfit for the day she headed back into the bathroom to change and _just_ as she finished getting ready a knock sounded at the door. Ella assumed it was Jamie with his daily lecture about always letting him know where she was on her days off and quickly answered the door. She gasped when she saw it was Chevy and launched herself at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly as she hugged him.

"Please, tell me you're not mad at me anymore. Please?" Ella said hopefully.

"That depends," Chevy said as he eagerly hugged her back. "Are you mad at me?"

"No! I—I'm a little hurt, but I'm not mad! You were totally right yesterday. I _do_ need to be careful about who I trust—"

"No, ignore everything I said to you yesterday," Chevy said frantically. "You've had issues trusting people for _years_ now and just when you start to lighten up and act more like…well _you_ I shoot off my big dumb mouth and tell you _not_ to. I was wrong, Ella. You didn't do anything wrong. None of this is your fault. It's all Colby. I was just…angry at myself, really. And the situation. But I took it out on you and you did _not_ deserve any of what I threw at you yesterday. I'm _deeply_ sorry."

Ella bit her bottom lip sheepishly. "So…you're not disappointed in me?"

Chevy shook his head. "No!"

"And you don't…hate me?"

Chevy sighed sadly and kissed his little sister's cheek. "I could never hate you, Ella. You're my kid sister. I know I don't really say it like I should, but I love you, kid, and that won't ever change."

Ella smiled brightly and hugged him tighter. "Oh, I am _so glad_ to hear that! I was so worried and scared…you've been the only steady thing in my life, Chevy. I don't know what I would do without you."

They pulled back from their hug and Chevy immediately spoke up. "Have you seen Nate? I need to apologize to him too."

Ella blushed and motioned Chevy inside. "He's here."

Chevy quirked a brow and shook his head. "Of course he is. Where else would he be?"

Ella closed the door behind them as she spoke. "Have you been able to get in touch with mom or dad?"

"Nope, did you talk to dad at the show last night?" Chevy asked.

"He wouldn't even look me in the eye," Ella said with a sad sigh.

"I have a feeling he's going to be the most difficult part of all of this," Chevy told her. "We _have_ to track him down, Ella. _Today_."

"He's not going to make this any easier, is he?" Ella asked fearfully.

"Of course not," Chevy said with a scoff. "He's _dad_. He never makes things _easier_ on anyone."


	29. Chapter 29

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

Chapter Twenty-Nine

* * *

Chevy apologized to Nate and then Ella and Chevy left to go find their dad. Nate had wanted to come with them at first, but Ella insisted that this was something she and Chevy needed to handle on their own. So, now they were marching off toward their father's hotel room and praying he would talk to them.

"If all else fails we could just call Peggy. She's good at talking people down," Chevy said with a laugh. "She's the one who convinced me I was being an idiot about you. Well, Nate's yelling did help a little, I guess, but it was mostly Peggy."

Ella's eyes widened. "It was? Wait, Peggy's here?"

Chevy nodded. "She came as soon as she saw the article. She said she wanted to be here for us."

"And she's the one that convinced you to apologize to me?" Ella asked with a furrowed brow.

"She understood what I was thinking before _I_ did and she completely had your back," Chevy told her. "I'm lucky to have her around."

Her brother's soft smile was contagious and before she knew it Ella was smiling too. "You really like her. Don't you, Chev?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I do. I've never really felt this way before. She's…she's _special_. You know?"

Ella took a deep breath and continued to smile. "I'm happy for you, brother. Really happy for you."

And she was. She actually was. Her relationship with Peggy was a work in progress, but Peggy had apparently been responsible for how quickly she and Chevy patched things up and she was making Chevy happier than Ella had seen him in a long while. Peggy was very slowly starting to grow on her again. She couldn't say she trusted her or that she'd forgiven her yet, but she was starting to accept the fact that Peggy was back in her life and probably would be for a while.

Hopefully this acceptance would lead to forgiveness. She was certainly _thankful_ Peggy had been around for _this_ situation. She'd been a great help and if Chevy hadn't told her Ella never would have known.

Ella took a deep breath and shared a nervous look with Chevy before she knocked on Van's hotel room door. The door slowly opened and Van sighed as he motioned them in. "I've been expecting the two of you. Come on in."

Ella immediately hugged him. "Daddy, I am _so_ sorry! We wrote that song as a therapy thing _for us_. No one was supposed to read it or hear it."

Chevy nodded. "And Colby's article takes the song all out of context. He makes it sound worse than it really is."

Van sighed and shook his head. "I'm not mad at either of you."

Ella's eyes widened. "You're not?"

"No," He said with a sigh. "I know I haven't been the best father to either of you, and I know the conflict between your mother and I made your childhood _unpleasant_. I know all of this, but…"

"But?" Chevy asked.

"I've never heard either of you really complain about it," He admitted. "Hearing it now, when I'm trying to be better was just…unexpected. Honestly, I'm mad at myself for letting things unfold the way that they did with our little family. I wasn't there nearly enough and from what I understand your mother was there _too much_. You can't help the way you feel about how dysfunctional we are. It just doesn't feel very nice to be reminded of it. That's all."

"We weren't ever going to record it or perform it," Chevy told him as he patted his father's shoulder. "We just needed to get it out, you know?"

Van nodded. "I know. Believe me, I know."

"So, then…we're okay?" Ella asked hopefully.

Van smiled warmly and nodded again before he hugged his daughter tightly. "We're okay as long as the two of _you_ are okay."

"We're okay," Chevy assured him as he hugged him as well.

"Now you just need to talk to your mother," Van told them with a chuckle. "She might be harder to convince than me."

* * *

That night at the venue there was a knock on Ella's dressing room door. She answered it quickly. She was under the impression it was the hair stylist. They were running behind tonight and in a rush. But she was surprised to see Tina standing on the other side with a sympathetic smile.

"I'm going to assume you've seen the tabloids today?" Tina asked kindly as she crossed the doorway and entered the room.

Ella sighed and nodded. "The reports of the song have gotten worse. It's nothing like what they're saying."

Tina nodded. "I know, and I've got an idea on how to take care of this mess."

"How?" Ella asked curiously.

"Perform the song."

Ella's eyes widened. "What? No way!"

"It's the only way to satisfy everyone's curiosity, Ella," Tina told her. "If you don't the press is just going to get worse."

Ella bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "Chevy and I agreed we wouldn't."

"I understand," Tina said with a sigh. "But talk to him about it. Talk to your dad. Talk to Nate even, and see what they think. I'll be around the tour all week. Let me know what you all decide."

Ella nodded and smiled weakly at the woman before she turned to leave. "Hey, Tina?"

"Yeah?" The older woman said with a grin.

"Thank you," Ella said in a heartfelt tone.

"You're very welcome, my dear," Tina said with a wink. "It's my job."

* * *

After the show, Ella pulled Van and Chevy aside and told them about Tina's plan. Van was all for it, but Chevy was just as apprehensive as Ella.

"I don't know," Chevy said as he shook his head. "We never planned on anyone other than the band hearing this song. Wouldn't we be throwing gasoline on the fire?"

"No, right now the public wants to hear this song. They want to know what it's really like and until they here it for themselves they're going to accept whatever anyone else says as truth," Van told his kids. "I've been there before. This Tina is smart. I'd do what she says."

Connect Three's set ended and Van caught Nate's arm as he passed them.

"Kid, tell them your publicist is right," Van said simply.

Nate's brow furrowed and he gave Ella a confused look. "What?"

Ella chuckled at her dad and then gave Nate a small smile. "Tina thinks the band should perform the song. She says that the press will calm down once they hear the song. Chevy and I aren't sure it's the right move."

Nate nodded. "It's the right move. Tina's a genius with these things. At least set up a meeting with her and get the details on what she wants to do before you say no."

Ella nodded and looked to Chevy to see what he thought. Chevy reluctantly nodded.

"One meeting won't hurt anything, I guess," Chevy said in agreement.

Ella smiled at Nate before she kissed his cheek and shoved him toward his dressing room. "Go clean yourself up. We're ordering room service and a movie in your room tonight."

Nate's eyebrows rose and he smirked. "Oh, are we?"

"Yes, we are," Ella said with a wink. "As soon as we talk to Tina and _you_ get all of that gross sweat off of you."

Nate smirked at her. "Gross, huh? So then I guess you wouldn't want a hug?"

Ella's eyes widened. "Nate, don't you dare."

He opened his arms with a grin and chased after her. She hid behind her dad first and then Chevy before she headed down the hallway. Nate managed to grab her around the waist and pull her toward him. Her back smashed into his and she squealed as she felt his sweat rub across her back.

"Oh my God, _so gross_!" Ella yelled. "Nate! This is disgusting!"

Nate laughed loudly as he released her and then turned her around to give her another sweaty hug from the front. He placed several kisses on her cheek as he smeared the sweat from his face all over hers.

She yelped and tried to squirm away but ended up bumping into Tina and nearly knocking her over. Nate immediately released Ella and Ella turned to check on her. "Oh God, are you okay?"

Tina chuckled and shook her head as she stood up straight. "I'm fine. Believe me, I'm used to this."

Nate smirked at Tina and held his arms out to her. "Would you like a hug too?"

Tina rolled her eyes and stepped around Nate. "No. No thank you."

Nate chuckled. "Fine, fine. I guess I'll go shower and change now. These guys want to talk to you by the way. About your plan."

"Good!" Tina said excitedly. "Ella, can we use your dressing room to talk?"

Ella nodded. "Sure."

She motioned for Van and Chevy to follow her and Tina into her dressing room. And Tina immediately started explaining.

"I suggest that Ella Pador and the Times perform a small set before the concert tomorrow night. Just four or five songs, and one of them should be 'How Do You Love Someone'. This way the song is out there and no one can take it out of context or change your lyrics ever again," Tina said. "What do you think?"

Van nodded. "Solid _smart_ plan."

"I don't know if we could get everyone here by tomorrow's show," Ella said with a furrowed brow.

"You can use my jet," Van offered quickly. "Give them a time to be at the airport and it will pick them up."

Chevy sighed. "I hate to say this, but I really think this is the only thing that will work at this point. We have to do this, Ella."

Ella gulped nervously and nodded. "You're right. God, I feel like I'm about to publish my diary or something."

Chevy squeezed her shoulder. "I know how you feel."

"Your guys need to be here, at the venue, by three tomorrow afternoon," Tina told them. "Make sure you have them here by then."

Van nodded. "Then they'll need to catch the jet early tomorrow morning."

Chevy pulled out his phone before looked over to Ella. "I'll take care of it. I'll call everyone tonight and tell them when to meet, and I'll get Caitlyn to meet them at the airport."

"Do you need any help?" Ella asked.

"No, I got it. Peggy'll help me," Chevy said with a small smile. "You go find Nate and rest up for tomorrow. It's apparently going to be a big day."

Tina breathed a sigh of relief and smiled brightly. "Great, now that that's settled I'm going back to the hotel to crash. G'night, beautiful people."

Tina waved to them one last time before she left the room. Van winked at his kids and wished them luck before he followed her out.

Chevy kissed his sister's cheek and hugged her quickly. "Have fun tonight, Ella. Don't let this stress you out, okay? I'll take care of everything."

Ella nodded. "I'll try."

"Good, good night, Ella," Chevy said as he left as well.

There was a knock on her door frame and she turned to find a freshly showered Nate leaning against the door and watching her closely. She blushed and smiled at him. "Well, hello."

He smirked at her. "Hello." He motioned to himself and then looked at her expectantly. "Is this more to your liking?"

Ella slowly approached him and then wrapped her arms around his chest. She took a long whiff of his freshly showered scent and hummed contentedly. "Oh, yes, much better."

Nate chuckled and wrapped his arms around her as well. "I'm glad you think so. So, what happened with Tina?"

"We're flying the band in to do a set before tomorrow's show," Ella told him as she closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder.

His eyes widened and he grinned. "Wow, that happened fast. How do you feel about all of this? Are you nervous at all?"

Ella scoffed and chuckled. "Try terrified. I mean, your audiences are _huge_."

He poked her left side and kissed her temple. "You'll be fine—no, _great_. You're an amazing performer, Ella, and you're only going to get better the more you perform. You'll knock 'em dead. I have absolutely _no doubt_ about that."

She sighed and smiled against his shoulder. "I don't want to think about this anymore for tonight. Can we just go order food and pick out a movie? Something that will not remind me of tomorrow. Oh! Explosions! It should have explosions!"

Nate grinned at her. "I believe I saw that _Casino Royale_ is on demand. Is that good enough for you?"

"That's perfect," Ella said happily. "Alright, Nathaniel, I'm ready to be distracted."

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "That's dangerous terminology right there, Ells."

She laughed and smacked his shoulder. "You knew what I meant."

"But what you _didn't_ mean is more fun, don't you think?" Nate asked with a smirk.

Ella blushed and nodded hesitantly. "Definitely more fun."

Nate took her hand and led her out of her dressing room door and down the hall toward the back doors of the venue where a car would be waiting for them to take them back to the hotel.

* * *

Chevy groaned as he finally made it back to the hotel. He'd managed to make all of his phone calls on the way which would leave him the rest of the night to relax with Peggy. He opened his hotel room door and found Peggy sitting on the extra bed in his room with her guitar spread across her lap.

He quietly closed the door behind him and watched her as she strummed.

She finally noticed him there and smiled softly up at him. "Well, hello. How did it go?"

"Pretty well, we have a plan to take down all of these rumors about the song," Chevy told her.

"And what's that?" She asked as she put her guitar away in its case.

"Perform it."

Peggy grinned and nodded. "That just might work."

"I hope so," Chevy said with a sigh. He collapsed onto his bed and felt Peggy lie down next to him. They both stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully. Chevy had grown very close to Peggy and he'd taken her to dinner a few times, but he'd yet to really make a move on her. He needed to do something to make it official. Or at least make a move that confirmed they were more than friends.

"Who's idea was that?" Peggy asked.

"Tina," Chevy told her. "Connect Three's publicist."

Peggy chuckled and nodded. "Oh yes, I'm familiar. She's Mitchie's publicist too. You're in safe hands, Chev. She's very good at her job."

"I'm sure," Chevy agreed.

He turned on his side to face Peggy and a few minutes later she did the same. She gave him an expectant look, and he took a deep breath to rally his confidence before he swiftly closed the distance between them and captured her lips with his. She made a muffled surprised sound before he felt her relax and kiss him in return. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her. He felt her arms slip under his arms and around his chest. She wrapped her leg around his and he pulled back from the kiss very slightly to smirk against her lips.

"Well, that was new for us," Peggy said as she pulled back to catch her breath.

He chuckled and nodded. "New and _better_, don't you think?"

Peggy blushed and smiled brightly at him. "Definitely better."


	30. Chapter 30

**A/N:** the two songs in this chapter are "Kiss & Tell" by Selena Gomez & The Scene and "How Do You Love Someone" by Ashley Tisdale. Enjoy!

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

Chapter Thirty

* * *

Nate rushed to get ready for the concert. He wanted to be done in time to stand by the stage and watch Ella perform. The hairstylist finally finished taming his curls and Nate was up and out the door in a flash. He made it to the wings of the stage just as Ella and the rest of the band arrived. Ella immediately brightened when she saw him.

"You made it!" She exclaimed as she hugged him.

"Wouldn't miss this for the world, Ells," Nate said as he wrapped his arms around her.

Nate had missed their sound check due to Connect Three's meet and greet, and had been worried he wouldn't make in time to wish Ella luck before her set. As he released her he took a moment to check out her appearance. It appeared Ella had a small flair for the dramatic when it came to her performance outfits. Tonight she was wearing a black and white tutu style dress. It had a fluffy frilly white skirt with a black tight corset style bodice. His fingers brushed a small patch of skin across her stomach as he pulled away and he blushed lightly. There were small gaps in the lacing of the bodice that showed patches of Ella's skin.

He smirked at the long pink and purple fake lashes that were glued to her eyelids and then at the small gems that had been glued to the corners of her eyes. Only Ella, he thought as his eyes traveled down the rest of her. She wore a pair of plum colored tights that were embellished with sequins and black fabric flowers and on her feet were a pair of black platform pumps that had sequins covered the heels. He could only think of one way to describe how she looked.

She looked like a rock and roll princess. It was the only description that seemed to fit. She was adorable, gorgeous, and sexy all at the same time. A feat that he was fairly certain _only Ella_ could accomplish.

"Who's introducing you?" Nate asked as he tried to keep from staring any longer.

"Dad," Ella said nervously before she took a deep calming breath.

Nate smiled softly at her and kissed her forehead. "You'll be wonderful. I know it."

Everyone backstage grew quiet as Van began to introduce the band. It was a very warm introduction and as he came off stage he hugged Ella and Chevy quickly. Ella winked at Nate and blew him a kiss before she ran out onstage and took her place in front of the microphone stand. She took the mike and turned her back on the crowd. They started with "Falling Down" which was, by now, the song Ella felt the most comfortable with. Next was "Maybe" which got a very good response, and finally they got to the new songs. The first one was one she'd written about Colby while Chevy wasn't talking to her. It was called "Kiss & Tell".

"_When you walk, you don't leave tracks.  
When you talk, they don't talk back.  
Believe in every word you say,  
But they don't know  
They don't, don't know._

_Secrets that you just can't keep._  
_Promises that you made me._  
_You twisted it to suit yourself,_  
_But now I know,_  
_I know, I know._

_Everything that I told you._  
_You just smile and then you,_  
_Kiss and tell everything I said,_  
_Stuck inside your little web._  
_Everybody wants to know._  
_Lips that lie covering your tracks._  
_Sold me out and you just laugh._  
_Say we're friends until the end,_  
_Yeah, but you don't mean it, don't mean it._  
_You don't mean it, you don't mean it. No."_

The crowd loved that one and before they performed the last and final song Chevy spoke up. "There's a song of ours that's never been performed and yet I'm sure you've all heard of it recently. Since it ended up twisted all around in a blog recently. Well, tonight we're going to set the record straight. For the first time ever we're going to play 'How Do You Love Someone' for an audience. Hope you all enjoy."

Chevy nodded to the rest of the band and they started the song. Ella took a deep calming breath before she began to sing her vocals.

"_Mama never told me how to love  
Daddy never told me how to feel  
Mama never told me how to touch  
Daddy never showed me how to heal_

_Mama never set a good example_  
_Daddy never held Mama's hands_  
_Mama found everything hard to handle_  
_Daddy never stood up like a man_

_I've walked around broken_  
_Emotionally frozen_  
_Getting it on, getting it wrong_

_How do you love someone without getting hurt?_  
_How do you love someone without crawling in the dirt?_  
_So far in my life, clouds have blocked the sun_  
_How do you love, how do you love someone?_  
_How do you love, how do you love someone?"_

Ella walked up as close to the edge of the stage as she could and sang her heart out. For the crowd, for her brother, and most importantly, for herself. Things had gotten much better for her over the last few months, but deep down she still felt as if something was holding her back. Something that had plagued her from a young age. She'd never really let herself rely on anyone else. Not until she'd befriended Peggy. Ella told her all the details of her family life and her father. Peggy knew it all and even she'd left in the end. The only person she could ever count on was Chevy. Nate was the only person who'd ever come close to proving her wrong.

"_I was always the chosen child  
Their biggest scandal I became  
They told me I'd never survive  
But survival's my middle name_

_I've walked around hoping_  
_Just barely coping_  
_Getting it on, getting it wrong_

_How do you love someone without getting hurt?_  
_How do you love someone without crawling in the dirt?_  
_So far in my life, clouds have blocked the sun_  
_How do you love, how do you love someone?_  
_How do you love, how do you love someone?_

_It's hard to talk, to say what's deep inside_  
_It's hard to tell the truth when you've always lied."_

Those last couple of lines really explained the Ella who'd attended Camp Rock. She withheld information from her friends and let them think her life was rather normal and happy, that she was happy-go-lucky, and her biggest worry was which nail color to wear. That had all been lies. The summer was the only time she was ever truly carefree. After those blissful three months she'd return home to arguments and unreliable visitations with her father. Her world was topsy turvy and the only stable things in her life had been Chevy and her friends at Camp Rock, but then suddenly most of her friends from Camp Rock were gone and all she had was Chevy. That was when this song came to be. She and Chevy had both been in angry places at the time and they'd just needed to get everything out.

They'd never intended for anyone to hear it.

"_How do you love someone without getting hurt?  
How do you love someone without crawling in the dirt?  
So far in my life, clouds have blocked the sun  
How do you love, how do you love someone?_

_How do you love someone and make it last?_  
_How do you love someone without tripping on the past?_  
_So far in my life, clouds have blocked the sun_  
_How do you love, how do you love someone?_  
_How do you love, how do you love someone?"_

But Ella had to admit, that it felt very therapeutic to perform it. She almost felt as if a giant weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. As the song ended she let out a long shuddering breath and actually _felt _years of tension float away. They may not have wanted to perform it, but now Ella realized they _needed_ to.

Maybe she did have something to thank Colby for after all.

They bowed quickly and immediately bolted from the stage so the opening act that followed them could set up and perform. Nate wasn't there when she came off stage. She'd expected that though. He had to report to warm ups before it was Connect Three's turn to take the stage.

She hugged Chevy, Andy, Mac, and Tyler very quickly before she ran back to her dressing room to get ready for Headline's portion of the concert. Connect Three would perform first and then Headline, but her hair and make up needed to be done as soon as possible. Nate wasn't the only one who was required to show up to a warm up session.

* * *

"Tired?" Mac asked as he walked with Ella toward her hotel room. She walked as if her feet weighed twenty pounds each.

"Exhausted," Ella said with a yawn.

"Go to bed early," Andy said as he nudged Ella and forced her to stand up straight.

"No! I can't! Nate's coming by my room whenever he gets back. I want to know what he thought of our set."

"Ella," Andy said with a chuckle. "He had to love it. Everyone did."

"Yeah, that crowd of hormonal middle aged women and pre-teen twelve year old girls went _wild_ for us. Do you know how insane that is? They showed up for acts like Connect Three and Headline and we're _very _different and yet they _still_ loved us! That's huge!" Mac told her. "I'm sure Nate feels the same as the rest of, Ella. You blew everyone away."

"Still, I want to hear _his_ thoughts from _his_ lips," Ella told them.

"I'm sure that's not all you want his lips to do," Mac said with a smirk.

Ella rolled her eyes and smacked his arm. "Shut up!"

"Did you hear how high pitched that was?" Mac asked Andy with a knowing grin.

"Oh, yes, she's definitely got her mind in the gutter," Andy said with a chuckle.

They finally reached her room and Ella pushed them away playfully. "Leave me alone. Thankfully we're at my room now so I can go inside and lock you two _out_. Meanies."

They laughed at her as she unlocked her door and opened it. She stood in the doorway and looked at them expectantly.

"Good night, your majesty," Mac said with a bow. Andy smirked and followed his lead.

"Majesty?" Ella asked with a chuckle.

"Well, I do believe you are now officially a rock princess. Don't you agree, Andy?"

"Most certainly, I do," Andy said as he bowed again. "Good night, Princess of Rock and Roll. You've earned a good night's sleep."

She smiled warmly at them and shook her head. "You're both hams. Now, shoo! My boyfriend should be here soon."

"Oooh," Mac said as he wiggled his eyebrows. "She's calling him her boyfriend now."

"Most intriguing," Andy said as he quirked a brow at her. "Don't do anything Chevy would kill Nate over tonight, please. This band's going somewhere and I'd like it to stay together."

Ella rolled her eyes and smiled. "Fine. I promise to behave like a lady. Happy?"

"Extremely," Mac said. "Goodnight, Ella."

"Goodnight, Ella," Andy said after him.

"Night, guys," Ella said as she closed her hotel room door.

She decided a shower would wake her up enough to stay up for Nate so she immediately jumped in the shower. Besides she could feel the sticky sweat residue on her skin from not just one but two performances. It was not comfortable. She came out of the shower and quickly got dressed into her pajamas. She pulled on a sweatshirt she'd swiped from Nate's house over the weekend and decided to turn on the television to bide her time. Nate shouldn't be much longer. Connect Three's post show interviews were almost over when she'd left with the others in the van. She stopped on the classic movie channel and watched a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers musical while she waited. Fred Astaire's character reminded her of Nate. He was sharp tongued and very witty just like Nate.

There was a long rhythmic knock on her door and she smiled brightly. That had to be Nate. She jumped up off the edge of her bed and ran to the door. She pulled it open and launched herself at Nate, who was waiting on the other side. He laughed and spun her around.

"You were brilliant! That's the fastest I've _ever_ seen an act win over a crowd. They adored you!" Nate said as he set her feet back down on the ground.

"Really?" Ella asked as she pulled him inside her room and shut the door behind him. "You think so?"

"I cheered as loudly as I could, Ells," Nate said with a chuckle. "That should tell you all you need to know. I don't normally 'cheer', you know."

Ella smirked at him. "Yes, I know. You're not really the type."

"They loved you, Ella. They loved you and I lo—" Nate cut himself off and cleared his throat before he continued. "And I thought you were phenomenal. Someone's _got_ to give you a recording contract now. There's no way they can't."

Ella motioned him inside. "I can't believe we actually performed that song. We worked so hard to keep it to ourselves for so long that the idea that _people_ have heard it just seems so odd."

"That song…Ella, I think it's one of the best things you've ever written," Nate said honestly as he took her hand and pulled her to him.

She blushed and hid her face in his shoulder before she looked back up at him. "I didn't write the whole thing by myself."

"Yeah, well, Chevy's not here right now for me to compliment, is he?" Nate asked with a smirk.

"No, thank God," Ella said with a chuckle.

Nate laughed lightly and kissed her forehead before he pulled away. "Okay, I need to go shower and change, but I promise I will be back as quickly as possible."

Ella let out a soft whine and Nate tickled her side lightly.

"I'm still sweaty from the show. You don't want me too close for too long. Trust me," Nate said with a wink. "I'll be gone fifteen minutes at the most. I promise."

"You can only go if you're back in _ten_ minutes," Ella told him with a smirk. "Deal?"

Nate rolled his eyes and smiled at her in amusement. "Fine, deal. I'll be back in ten."

She watched him go with a small goofy smile. The door closed behind him and she collapsed back onto her bed. How in the world had this become her life? It wasn't so very long ago that she was working long hours at long rehearsals for very little pay with an artist who most certainly didn't appreciate her. Back then if she ever even _thought_ of Nate or any of Connect Three it was with bitterness.

And now…

Well, lately her thoughts of Nate had been _far_ more pleasant. She wasn't quite sure how or when her thoughts had started to turn that way, but regardless it was too late to quit the habit now. She was halfway on her way to a place she hadn't been in a very long time, and it seemed that every time she went there she came away hurt and confused. She didn't know if she could handle that this time. Not with Nate. Nate meant so much more to her than any other man she'd ever dated, and if he hurt her…she wasn't sure she'd ever recover.

She sighed in confusion and pulled the covers on her bed over her. All of her exhaustion hit her at once. She was drained all the way around. Physically, mentally, emotionally…

Her eye lids suddenly felt very heavy and she felt herself start to drift off to sleep. She shook herself in an attempt to wake up. She couldn't go to sleep. Nate would be back soon. Spending time with him was the only way she was going to determine how she truly felt about him. Did she like him? Did she love him? Was her worth putting her whole heart on the line?

She was beginning to think so, but she needed to be _certain_.

_Absolutely_ certain.

Her eye lids slowly closed and despite all her attempts to fight it she found herself resting her head on her pillow. She _wanted_ to stay up for Nate, but it didn't look like she had much of a choice.

* * *

On his way back to Ella's room Nate found Jason leaning against the wall in the hallway. His face was blank which immediately worried Nate. That usually meant Jason was worried about something. And _usually_ whatever it was had to do with Caitlyn.

Nate stared at Ella's door longingly for a moment before he reluctantly caved to his conscious and headed over to his bandmate.

"Hey, Jase. Everything okay?"

"Caitlyn's been on the phone _non-stop_ since The Times' set ended. It's been one phone call after another," Jason told him with a huff. "I mean, I'm all for her having her own career and you _know_ I support her no matter what but…"

"But?" Nate asked.

"I'm starting to feel like she's never really _here_ anymore. Either she's really physically not here or her mind is preoccupied with the band and what their next move should be. She's never really in the present _with me_," Jason admitted with a guilty expression. "And it's only going to get worse after tonight."

Nate's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Their set was phenomenal."

"Yeah, I know. But how would that make it worse?"

"They're going to get a record deal, Nate. That's who's been calling Caitlyn all night. Record execs. And once they have that deal they won't be able to stay on tour with us. They'll either go on tour with someone else or go somewhere to record an album," Jason said as he shoved away from the wall and began to pace. "Then I'll see even _less_ of Caitlyn than I do now, and I already miss her quite a bit."

Nate sighed. Jason had a point. He had a rather accurate point. "I'd never really thought about it like that before."

Jason frowned and leaned against the door frame of the room he shared with Caitlyn. "It's _all_ I've been thinking about lately. Things are going to change, Nate, and our relationships are going to become more difficult. We'll be busy. They'll be busy. There will be lots of phone tag. I hate phone tag."

Nate groaned and leaned against the wall next to Jason's door. "Ella and I are _just_ starting to make some _real_ progress. Now what's gonna happen?"

Jason shook his head. "I'm sorry, man." Jason sighed and paused thoughtfully for several minutes. "I think we're just gonna have to suck it up."

"You mean paste on a smile and focus on the fact that this is the opportunity of a lifetime for them?"

Jason nodded. "That's exactly what I mean. They'll come back eventually. It's not like they're going away forever."

Nate nodded in agreement. "And when they do come back we'll be right here waiting for them."

"Exactly," Jason said with a decisive grin. "We have to trust that it will all work out for the best."


	31. Chapter 31

**A/N: **So, I'm sorry this one's so short, but there's a bit of a time jump after this and it felt awkward to do that kinda jump in one chapter. So I hope you enjoy this snippet of a chapter!

Happy reading!

angellwings

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

Chapter Thirty-One

* * *

"Okay, so repeat the plan to me, Jase."

Jason groaned and rolled his eyes. He was immensely grateful that their current conversation was happening over the phone. He didn't want to imagine Caitlyn's reaction to his current expression. "Caity, we've gone over the plan a hundred times."

"I just want to make sure it's clear, okay?" Caitlyn asked pleadingly. "So, repeat it, please?"

She rarely ever said please so what choice did Jason have?

"The band lands tomorrow at four. Security will pick them up and have them at the hotel by five. I am supposed to ride with security in a second van to the airport, but not go inside so that I do not contribute to the mob that will be waiting."

"And?"

"And as soon as you are in the second van _with_ me we run away to a secluded cabin in Aspen where we will have the entire weekend to ourselves with no interruptions."

"And where we will finally be able to?"

"Set a date for the wedding."

"Perfect," Caitlyn said with a chuckle. "It has been forever since it's just been you and me."

"Believe me, Caity, I _know_," Jason said with a sigh. "I miss you."

"I miss you too," Caitlyn told him. "But the band officially has a record deal now so things should calm down for a bit. Stephens said he wouldn't need us to start recording until after the tour ends."

"I'm glad it was Vibe that ended up signing them," Jason said with a soft smile. "They've always been good to us despite Shane's various phases."

"That's really the reason they came to that final decision. Ella and Chevy have seen enough of their dad's label to know it's rare to be a part of label that actually cares about their artists. I'm excited for them. The good thing is they've already got plenty of songs for an album so unless one of them is suddenly struck by the song writing bug they can relax for a while."

"So, Stephens was _sure_ he wouldn't need the band until after the tour?" Jason asked worriedly.

"Well, Jase, you know the business, anything could change at any moment, but for the time being Vibe has a pretty full release schedule and they won't really need us for another couple of months."

"What about a tour? Did he say anything about sending you guys on a tour?" Jason asked.

"No, he didn't mention a tour to me. But we _just_ signed the papers yesterday, Jase. He said he'd call me if anything changed," Caitlyn paused for a moment like there was something she didn't want to tell him. But the moment passed quickly and Jason decided he _might_ be paranoid. "Oh, I am so excited to come home."

"Home?" Jason asked with a laugh. "The tour is home?"

He could almost hear Caitlyn roll her eyes as she spoke. "No, Idgit, _you_ are."

He smiled and spoke up softly. "I can't wait for you to come home either, Lady Caity."

* * *

Tina gave Caitlyn a knowing look as she hung up the phone.

"You didn't tell him about Stephens offer," Tina said in a slightly scolding tone.

"This weekend. I will tell him this weekend."

"Caitlyn, you lied to him."

"No, I didn't! Stephens didn't mention a _full_ tour. Just a handful of performances."

"That could _lead_ to a full tour with _Mitchie_, who's on the other side of the country from Connect Three," Tina said with an understanding smile.

"What's your job title again? Group Therapist or Publicist?" Caitlyn asked sarcastically.

"Sweetie, I have whatever title I need to get the job done," Tina said with a light laugh.

Tina had gone with the band back to LA and sat with them in all their meetings with various labels. Once the band had been signed they officially hired her as their Publicist-slash-Public-Relations-Expert. She'd almost become Caitlyn's right hand through all of this since Tina had the years of experience that Caitlyn lacked. She'd been a good addition to Ella Pador and the Times' team.

"Just make sure you tell him before you get back from your weekend away. Ella and Chevy will have told Nate and Peggy. Not only that but Andy will have told Kelly as well. It'll be the biggest news of the tour for most of these people. He'll find out when you get back on Monday anyway so it's best to tell him before then," Tina told her as she pulled out a magazine and flipped through it as they waited in the terminal for their flight.

"Ugh, why couldn't I have just settled for Connect Three's producer and Jason Gray's fiancé? I had to add manager of Ella Pador and the Times to that list? It's too much."

Tina absently reached over and rubbed circles on Caitlyn's back while she read. "You're just determined to try your hand at everything, that's all."

"Yeah, well, I need to stop," Caitlyn muttered.

"No, argument there," Tina said with a chuckle. "And I'm sure Jason would agree."

* * *

Ella was surprised to see three vans when they arrived at the airport. One for Caitlyn, that had Jason inside, one for the band and Tina, but who was the other one for?

"Ms. Pador, this way," One of the gaurds said as he gently grabbed her arm.

Ella gave Jamie a questioning look and he nodded reassuringly and followed her. The van door opened and Ella immediately smiled brightly at what greeted her. She gave Jamie a pointed look and he smirked before motioning for her to get in and closing the door behind her.

"Nate!" She squealed as the door closed. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him quickly. "What are you doing here?"

"Picking you up so we can have some alone time before we rejoin the group at the hotel," Nate said with a grin.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ella asked as she smacked his shoulder playfully.

"I wanted to surprise you so I called Jamie to set it up," Nate told her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him. He kissed her forehead and then her lips. "Congrats, by the way. How does it feel to be an official recording artist with a major label?"

"Very…new," Ella said honestly. "I don't think I actually believe it just yet."

"You won't for a while," Nate told her with a soft smile. "Not until you start touring or recording."

"…about that…"

"About which? Touring or recording?" Nate asked nervously. Ella sounded worried.

"Touring," Ella said with a sigh. "Troy Stephens wants us to do a small five city tour pretty soon."

Nate nodded and smiled. "Well that'll be fun. Two weeks on the road isn't bad."

"That's not the bad part."

Nate gulped. "Do I want to know?"

"He said the small tour was, sort of, an audition for a bigger tour," She paused for a moment. "For Mitchie's tour."

He blinked at her. "Mitchie's tour? The tour that's traveling in the exact opposite of Connect Three's tour?"

"Yes," Ella said with a sigh. "She lost an opening act, and they want us to fill in."

"And when would you have to leave _our_ tour?" Nate asked fearfully.

"In a week and a half after all the paperwork for the record deal has gone through," She answered.

He took a deep breath and nodded. "A week and a half. Okay, well that's better than nothing, right?"

Ella nodded. "Right."

"Just a week and a half. Great," Nate said with a sigh.


	32. Chapter 32

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Two

* * *

Caitlyn paled as she and Jason arrived in the hotel lobby. The weekend was over, and she never told Jason about the tour. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. It would have ruined their blissfully happy weekend. They'd _finally_ pinned down a date for their wedding and the weekend had become a sort of pre-honeymoon. How could she bring him down after that?

"You're back!" Ella exclaimed as she saw them coming. She was with the entire band. This wouldn't be good. "Just in time! Nate said there's a meeting in conference room A."

"We should settle back in first, right Jase?" Caitlyn asked hopefully.

"No, they'll take our bags to our rooms for us, Caity. We'll just leave them at the front desk and go to the meeting. We probably shouldn't miss it," Jason said as he caught the attention of a bellhop. He handed the bellhop both of their bags and then took Caitlyn's hand and motioned for Ella and Chevy to lead the way.

They reached the conference room and when the door swung open there was a loud chorus of "Surprise!" as people leapt out of their hiding places. Caitlyn glanced up at the decorative banner hanging on the wall and groaned.

"_Congratulations & good luck on tour!"_

Jason's brow immediately furrowed and he looked very confused. "Tour?"

Out of the corner of her eye Caitlyn saw Tina smack a hand to her forehead and shake her head.

"You still haven't told him?" Tina asked with a sigh.

"Told me what?" Jason asked suspiciously. "Who's going on tour?"

Caitlyn sighed and winced. "I was going to tell you this weekend, Jase, but it was never the right time."

"You told me Stephens didn't say anything about a tour."

"Well, he didn't really. He said he wanted us to do a handful of performances in some major cities and then _implied_ we would be sent on a big tour after that," Caitlyn said as she bit her bottom lip nervously.

Jason's whole body tensed and his lips formed a thin grim line on his face. "I see." He cleared his throat and then looked up at the rest of the people in the room. "Excuse me."

Jason turned and slowly left the room and Caitlyn quickly followed after him. "Jase! Wait!"

Ella grimaced as she watched them go and then quickly made her way to Nate. "Well, that was bad."

"Yes, it was. Very bad," Nate said with a sigh. "You know Jason and Caitlyn hardly ever have serious fights, and when they do…"

"What?" Ella asked.

"They last for _days_," Nate told her. "This is going to be an agonizing week. I can tell."

* * *

"Jason, stop! Will you listen to me?" Caitlyn asked as he reached the elevator. He stepped inside and Caitlyn slid through the doors _just_ before they closed. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about the performances."

"You _lied_ to me, Caitlyn. I specifically asked about a tour and you said it hadn't been brought up."

"I'm sorry! But I could already tell you were feeling neglected and getting frustrated with my schedule. I didn't want to upset you!" Caitlyn told him.

"Well, you did anyway! In fact, I'm even more upset now because you _lied_ to me. We're engaged. You know, getting married. Married people make decisions together. Are you going to be able to handle that, Caitlyn? I mean, I know you're independent and I've always loved that about you, but getting married means we have a life _together_. And _this_ just feels like a sign that you might not be ready for something that major," Jason said as he focused on the elevator buttons in front of him and avoided looking at her.

"No! I _am_ ready! It was just one minor slip up! I love you, Jason, and I _want_ to marry you. We just both work so much, and I know you had your heart set on the idea of things calming down once the band got a record deal. I didn't want to let you down," Caitlyn said with a sad sigh as the doors opened on their floor.

Jason shook his head. "That wouldn't have let me down, but the lying _did_."

Caitlyn struggled to find the words to say in response and when the silence stretched out too long Jason stepped off the elevator and headed toward the room he was going to share with Nate. Caitlyn followed him thoughtfully and quietly.

"I think you need to think about some things, Caitlyn. And when you've done that…we'll talk," Jason said as he unlocked his hotel room door and went inside.

Caitlyn huffed and muttered to herself. "I don't need to think about anything. I know _exactly_ what I want."

* * *

Peggy was going to be hanging around the tour for the next few days to visit with Chevy and when she arrived she immediately noticed the tension between Caitlyn and Jason. It was one of the first things she'd asked Chevy about.

"Caitlyn didn't tell him about the tour and he had to find out at a surprise party everyone threw for us."

Peggy winced. "Ouch."

"It was pretty awkward," Chevy said with a nod. "Anyway, now they're giving each other the cold shoulder. Apparently Jason's mad at Caitlyn for lying and she's mad at him for making such a big deal out of it."

"How long has it been since they've spoken?"

"Approximately a day and a half."

Peggy shook her head. "They're such dummies. She's got 6 and a half days left on this tour and they're going to spend it fighting?"

"Caitlyn's tried to talk to him, but he pretends she's not there," Chevy said.

Peggy rolled her eyes. "Alright, I'm going to go find her. I'll see you in the green room for a quick dinner before the show right?"

Chevy nodded and kissed Peggy's temple. "I'll be there."

When Peggy found Caitlyn she was pacing back and forth in front of Ella and ranting.

"I can't believe he's still mad at me! I also can't believe he doubts that I actually want to get married! _Of course I do!_ And then on top of all of this I have all this paperwork to wrap up with Vibe and then I'm supposed to submit production ideas for your band's stage set as well AND I need to get the contract signed for the wedding location Jase and I decided on. But between trying to get him to talk to me and the record label pressuring me to finish the Connect Three tracks I'm responsible for I have _no_ time!"

"How do you stay sane?" Ella asked when she heard about all the demands on Caitlyn's time.

"Well, usually I have Jase to help me, but he's not acknowledging me right now," Caitlyn said as she took down her ponytails and shook out her hair. "I can't sleep. Did you know that? I didn't sleep at all last night. I'm _exhausted_."

Peggy took that as her cue to speak up. "Then why don't you suck it up and fix things with Jason?"

Caitlyn looked up at the sound of her voice. "I've tried! But he's being _ridiculous_! _I'm_ mad at _him_ too now! I just don't want to deal with him. He's being a big baby."

Peggy opened her mouth to say something else, but Caitlyn looked down at her watch and let out a curse before she could.

"I'm late for a conference call!" Caitlyn exclaimed. "I have to go. God, this is the _worst_ week _ever_!"

"Please tell me you think they're being stupid?" Peggy asked Ella as Caitlyn rushed off.

"Oh, they totally are, and I don't know about Jase but Caitlyn can't take much more of this," Ella said with a sad sigh.

"We should fix them," Peggy suggested.

"You and me? Fix _them_?" Ella asked warily.

"Yes, you know, like we used to do with Tess and Caitlyn at Camp? Before they became lifelong enemies?" Peggy asked with a wistful grin.

Ella gave her a small smile and nodded. "I remember. Hopefully, this will be easier than that though."

"You take Jason and I'll take Caitlyn?" Peggy asked.

Ella nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Peggy smirked and shook Ella's hand with a grave playful face. "Good luck, Agent Pador."

Ella chuckled and saluted. "And you as well, Agent Dupree." Ella paused and shook her head. "God, we were so corny in middle school."

Peggy laughed. "Oh, hun, we're _still_ corny. At least I am."

Suddenly all the years they'd been apart popped back up and settled between them. Ella had almost forgotten Peggy had ever abandoned her. But the way Peggy said that last sentence reminded Ella that they didn't really know each other anymore and just like that the tension between them was back. "I'm gonna go track down Jason, and have a little chat with him. See you later."

"Oh," Peggy said sadly. "Okay, see you after the show, I guess."

* * *

Ella found Jason in his dressing room strumming a sad song on his acoustic guitar. She closed the door loudly behind her and Jason immediately turned.

"Wow, this is a sad sight," Ella said with a frown.

"Yeah, well, I'm sort of _sad_ right now."

"Because Caitlyn lied to you about the performances?"

He nodded and Ella sat down beside of him.

"You know, Jase, I think you're putting too much weight on this. She made a mistake and she knows it."

"How can we get married if she doesn't include me in her life? Marriage is a _shared_ life, Ella. She doesn't appear to want to share her life with me," Jason said with a huff.

Ella rolled her eyes. "Wow, you Grays are all the same. You're all drama queens. She didn't lie to you to exclude you. She lied to you in a misguided attempt to protect you. She loves you, she's engaged to you, she made a mistake. For goodness sake, Jason, she's apologized a million times. What more do you want?"

He was silent for a long moment and Ella took that as a sign to continue.

"Isn't unconditional love and forgiveness part of marriage too? If she needs to practice including you then don't you think you need to practice those things?"

Jason ran a hand through his curls and grimaced. "I'm being a baby, aren't I?"

Ella laughed lightly. "Those are the same words Caitlyn used."

"Well, she was right. I'm being stupid."

"Yes, yes you are. She has 6 days left on this tour. Don't spend them fighting," Ella warned him. "Don't end it like that."

Jason stood up and hugged Ella tightly. He kissed her cheek and grinned at her. "My youngest band mate knows how awesome you are, right?"

"He better, but I wouldn't mind if you wanted to remind him every now and then," Ella said with a wink. "Now go find Caitlyn and fix this."

Jason nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Peggy found a frenzied Caitlyn searching her bag for the information on the conference call she missed. Peggy sighed as she watched Caitlyn frantically flip through notebooks and folders.

"You realize he has a genuinely good reason to be mad, right?" Peggy asked from behind Caitlyn.

"Of course, I do! That's why I apologized. I shouldn't have lied."

"It's not so much the lie as it is the person you lied _to_, Caitlyn," Peggy said in a scolding tone. "He's your future husband. He's the one person you should never lie to. Marriages with secrets and lies never work."

"I just didn't want to hurt him."

"Lying to him _did_ hurt him. Jason understands your job and he understands insane schedules, but he's _never_ understood lying. You know that about him."

Caitlyn sighed. "You're right. I know you're right."

"Then go find him and give him a _real_ apology? You two should probably talk about how you're going to work out your two very different schedules too. By avoiding it you're only making things harder on yourselves," Peggy said wisely. "Just sit down and _talk_ to him, Caitlyn. I know that's difficult for you given how your hormones tend to rage when you're around him."

Caitlyn chuckled lightly and nodded. "He is _extremely_ attractive. And a phenomenal kisser."

Peggy laughed and shook her head. "Go, go find him and make out. You know you want to."

Caitlyn gave Peggy a quick hug before she ran off. "Thanks, Peggy! You're the best!"

* * *

Later that night as everyone was getting ready for the show Peggy stopped by Ella's dressing room.

"I think our plan succeeded."

Ella chuckled and nodded. "How many places have _you_ seen them making out?"

"I lost count, but I think they're trying to find every available space in the venue," Peggy said with a grin.

Ella's hair stylist finished with her hair and left the room and that's when Ella turned to Peggy with a serious expression. "I think we need to talk."

Peggy nodded. "I think we do too."

Ella got up from her chair and closed and locked the door. They didn't need anyone barging in. "I won't lie to you and say I didn't enjoy working together today…because I did. For a moment it felt like nothing had changed and no years had passed."

Peggy nodded sighed. She knew what was coming. "But?"

"I still can't forget that you left me. You were my best friend one day and then gone the next. It hurt," Ella told her.

"I realize that now, and I'm deeply sorry, Ella. You have no idea how much I regret it," Peggy said sadly.

"And I _wish_ I could forget it, and I _wish_ I could be your friend again, but…I'm struggling with it. I'm trying and I want to. But I can't right now," Ella said softly.

"I understand."

"I think I'm coming around though," Ella told her. "I'm glad that you make my brother happy. I've never seen him as happy as he is when he's with you. So, there's that."

Peggy smiled softly at her. "Well, that is something."

"And we've found out today that we can talk and be civil," Ella said with a soft smile of her own.

"That's definitely an improvement," Peggy agreed with a chuckle. "It's nice not to be glared at all the time."

Ella laughed lightly. "It's nice not to feel the _need_ to glare all the time."

Peggy took a deep breath and smiled warmly. "So we're not okay, but we're _on the way_ to okay?"

Ella nodded. "Exactly."


	33. Chapter 33

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Three

* * *

Ella waited nervously as Jamie loaded her things into the van that was taking them into the airport. They were flying to LA to load things into their new tour bus and rehearse on their tiny but apparently brand spankin' new stage. They were playing 5 major cities outside of California, but they were going to rehearse for a couple of days in LA.

After that they were headed to Phoenix for their first show, and from there they'd hit Houston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York. Stephens wanted to find out how they would do with audiences outside of California. He was going to meet them at their New York show to discuss whether or not they'd be heading out on another tour. Ella was simultaneously excited and terrified.

She'd been the first one to the van, and she was now waiting on everyone else to meet her. Including Nate. She was really dreading saying goodbye to Nate.

Suddenly Chevy burst through the hotel's revolving door. "Caitlyn said she has a surprise for us once we reach LA, but she won't tell me what it is."

Ella's brow furrowed. "What could that possibly mean?"

"If I knew I'd tell you," Chevy said with a laugh. "Where's Jamie?"

"Loading my stuff."

"Lucky you. Wish I had a strapping body guard to carry _my_ luggage," Chevy said teasingly.

"Jealous, much? I might need to warn Peggy about your feelings for Jamie, Chev," Ella said as she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh, ha-ha, very funny."

"Dude, I don't swing that way. I mean, I'm flattered, but—"

Chevy turned to glare at Jamie. "If that were the case _you_ would _not_ be my type."

"Toned, tall, and tanned isn't your type?" Jamie asked as he puffed up his chest.

"Nice alliteration," Ella said as she high fived him.

"I may be the muscle but I'm _intelligent_ muscle," Jamie said as he showed off and flexed an arm.

Ella laughed and shook her head. "Oh, this tour is going to be fun. I can tell."

"Whoa, put those guns down, Muscle Man," Tina said with a wink. "We'll have plenty of time to admire them later."

She smirked at Jamie as she started to pass him and head for the back of the van, but he stopped her.

"Here, let me. It'll give you more of a chance to admire my—what did you call them? Oh, yes—_guns_," Jamie said as he returned her smirk and took her bags from her.

Tina blushed but her smirk never faltered. "Don't let it go to your head, bodyguard. You ain't Kevin Costner and I ain't Whitney."

"If this were _The Bodyguard _wouldn't Ella be Whitney?" Chevy asked in confusion.

Tina held up a finger and shushed him. "Don't ruin my metaphor, kid."

"Besides, _Ella_ doesn't need a Kevin Costner. She has me," Nate said as he approached the group. "Right, Ells?"

Ella bit her bottom lip and looked thoughtful. "That depends. Are we talking _Field of Dreams_ Kevin Costner or _Mr. Brooks_ Kevin Costner?"

Nate gave her a blank look and resisted the urge to grin. "Would it matter?"

"Duh," Ella told him. "Ray is gorgeous. Mr. Brooks is _creepy_."

Nate sighed. "Fine, Mr. Brooks."

"Oh, then definitely you. No question," Ella said with a smirk.

"Gee, glad to know you prefer me to a murderer," Nate said dryly.

"Always, Nathaniel. Always," Ella said with a chuckle.

Jason and Caitlyn walked through the revolving doors then and Jason took Caitlyn's stuff to the back of the van.

"So, what's the surprise?" Ella asked.

"Nope, not telling. You'll find out when we get to rehearsals later," Caitlyn said with a grin. "But you're going to love it."

The back hatch on the van closed and Jamie rejoined them. "Time to go, kiddos. Say your goodbyes."

Chevy suddenly jumped and wrapped his arms around Jamie.

"I'm gonna miss you, man!" He screamed as he feigned sobs.

"Dude! I am coming with you! Get the _hell_ off me!" Jamie exclaimed as he tried to pry Chevy's arms off of him.

"James, don't be like that!"

"Don't call me James. Only my mama calls me James. Now _get off_!"

Tina smacked both of them on the back of the head. "Cut it out and get in the van. The lovebirds want privacy."

"It's not like we won't be able to see them. The van has windows, you know," Chevy said as he released Jamie.

"Get in the van. Man, you're a pain in my ass," Jamie said with a huff.

Chevy laughed and turned to wink at Ella. "He loves me. He just won't admit it."

"I'm telling you I have _got_ to warn Peggy about this crush you have on Jamie," Ella said as she shook her head playfully.

Jamie laughed and pushed Chevy into the van before he climbed in as well.

Tina turned to the two couples before she climbed in as well. "Take your time. I'll distract these bozos."

She closed the door behind her and the couples split up. Nate and Ella headed toward the back of the van while Jason and Caitlyn took the front.

"You'll call me before you board?" Nate asked.

Ella nodded. "And after we land."

"How am I going to sleep without you?" Nate asked as he pulled her close. "I've gotten way too accustomed to having you next to me."

Ella blushed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I was just wondering the same thing myself, but _maybe_ this will be good for us. Absence makes the heart grow fonder and all of that."

"I don't know, I can't imagine being any fonder of you than I am now," Nate said with a warm smile.

"It's just two weeks. We can make it two weeks," Ella said as she sighed and rested her forehead against his.

"Not if you're put on Mitchie's tour, and let's face it…you're amazing. Stephens will have no choice but to put you on a big tour," Nate told her.

"Let's take it one thing at a time, Nate, okay?" Ella asked. "Things are already pretty intense with us as it is. Anything more and I might explode."

"Well, we can't have that," Nate said with a grin as he kissed her lips gently. "I'm gonna miss you, Ella Pador."

"I'm gonna miss you too, Nate Black," Ella said as she took a deep calming breath. "Call me whenever you have time, okay? Please?"

"Every chance I get," Nate promised.

"Good," Ella said with a gulp. "I should go. The longer this takes the harder it will be."

Nate nodded and kissed her one last time before he released her. She started to walk toward the van door, but Nate called out to her.

Ella turned around and gave him an expectant look. "Yes?"

"Ella, I lov—" He cut himself off quickly. Now was _not_ the time. Ella had just told him things were intense _enough_. "I, um, I love that you're taking this chance. You deserve it, and you're going to have a blast."

She smiled softly at him. "Thank you, Nate. I wouldn't be able to take this chance without you, you know?" She climbed in the van and blew him a quick kiss. "Miss you already."

"You too," Nate said before Jason and Caitlyn came around. Caitlyn climbed inside and winked at Nate and Jason.

"You two behave yourselves. No trouble until I get back, clear?" Caitlyn asked with a grin.

Jason dutifully nodded. "Clear. Love you, Caity."

"Love you, Jase. Talk to you soon," Caitlyn said as she shut the door.

Jason and Nate both sighed sadly as they watched the van drive away.

"Well, that was brutal," Jason admitted.

"Tell me about it, I came this close to saying the L-word," Nate said as he ran a hand through his hair. "That would have been very bad."

"Yeah, I can't imagine Ella's quite ready for that yet," Jason told him.

"Agreed, especially since she just said things between us were 'intense enough'—whatever that means," Nate said hopelessly. "My patience is actually wearing thin. This has never happened to me before."

Jason laughed. "It's called love, dude. It makes everybody crazy."

"I'm just afraid I'm going to slip up and scare her away," Nate said with a sigh.

"Try sending her presents. That was rather cathartic for me while I was waiting on Caity to be ready. If I can be patient for love then anyone can," Jason said as he patted Nate's shoulder. "Just give it a little more time, Nate. She's _almost_ there."

"You think?" Nate asked hopefully.

Jason nodded. "I _know_."

* * *

A few hours later they landed in LA and then they were all driven to a soundstage on the Universal Studios lot. They were dropped off while Jamie and the other new guards the label hired took their things to the hotel. They made a bee-line to where their new stage was set up and Caitlyn quickly ran ahead of them to stop them.

"Wait! I have to tell you something!"

"Through those doors are the rest of the band, and your surprise. Got it?"

Ella and Chevy nodded before Caitlyn stepped aside. "Okay, go!"

Ella shrieked when her eyes landed on the stage. It was small, but _beautiful_. Their set design was bright and colorful with purples and blues and blacks. And the drum set Andy was playing had a professional logo for their band on it. It was perfect. Everything was perfect. But then she noticed someone sitting on the edge of the stage.

"Oh my God!" Ella screamed. "LOLA!"

Ella ran toward her friend and hugged her tight.

"Ella!" Lola exclaimed. "It's so good to see you!"

"What are you doing here?" Ella asked.

"We're co-headlining. Turns out Battery does a lot of promotions with Vibe so they decided to put us together for the tour!" Lola told her.

"Are you kidding me? Seriously?"

Lola nodded. "Seriously, and guess who's in my band?"

"Who?" Ella asked excitedly.

"Barron and Sander!"

Ella blinked before she squealed loudly. "It's like a Camp Rock reunion tour! I cannot believe this!"

"I told you you'd like this surprise," Caitlyn said with a laugh.

"I did not know a human could hit that frequency," Tina said as she blinked and rubbed her ears. "_Ow._"

"Alright, boys and girls," Caitlyn said as she called everyone together. "It's time to put together a set list."

Ella only half paid attention to the meeting. She spent most of the time glancing around the soundstage in utter disbelief. This was her life. Her dreams were slowly but surely coming true. How had this happened? There were certainly more difficult challenges ahead, but right now…this moment..

Was absolutely _perfect_.


	34. Chapter 34

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Four

* * *

The next three days passed in a blur. There was always something on the schedule. Every morning there were interviews with various radio stations around California, and they'd taped an episode of _Last Call with Carson Daly_ during one day of their rehearsals. Once they were comfortable with their set they packed up their new tour bus (courtesy of Vibe records) and headed to Phoenix.

The tour schedule was mostly the same as the rehearsal schedule. Interviews in the morning, followed by lunch, then meetings with Tina about how they should handle interviews (planned or spontaneous) and the best way to answer tricky questions, then they had a little bit of downtime, followed by sound check, and then it was time to get ready for the show.

Most of the time Ella felt like she rarely had time to breathe let alone eat or sleep. She called Nate any time she had a free minute and he did the same. Luckily they usually managed to catch each other, if only for a few minutes. She was beginning to wonder how Mitchie, Peggy, and the guys did it. How did they manage to have a life when they were always on the go?

The good thing about it, though, was that there was plenty of time while they were traveling to work on songs. So far she'd co-written two. One with Barron and Sander and one with Lola. They were very fun songs, and she couldn't wait until they were ready to perform.

The other good thing was that it gave her time to think about Nate. She'd never had feelings for anyone the way she did for Nate, and it was beginning to scare her. She missed him so much it hurt. It _hurt_ more than she'd ever hurt before. Was it supposed to hurt? She had no idea and she didn't know what to do about it either. It felt like things were happening so fast and yet it felt like it took them forever to get where they were. She'd never been in a relationship like this before, and she'd found out that she was completely unprepared. She was scared out of her mind and yet she was the happiest she'd ever been.

"Hey, girl," Caitlyn said as she sat down next to Ella on the tour bus. "You look pretty serious over here."

"Just thinking," Ella told her with a smile.

"About Nate?"

"That's _all_ I've been doing lately," Ella said with a sigh.

"Are you up to helping me with a song?" Caitlyn asked. "I've started one that's kinda about Jason but I'm stuck. I was hoping I could get your opinion and input. And that maybe you guys would record it."

Ella smiled again and nodded. "That sounds like a very good distraction. Let's do it."

* * *

Nate chuckled at the pink padded envelope that Jason dropped in his lap. He smirked at him before he spoke. "Mail from Ella, I'm guessing?"

"And apparently Caitlyn," Jason said as he pointed to the two names attached to the return address.

Nate opened it and emptied the contents onto his dressing room table. It was a CD that had "Play me" written on it. And attached to the front of it was a post it. Nate read it aloud.

"A song for our Rock Gods."

Jason brow furrowed. "Are you as terrified as I am right now? _Rock Gods_?"

"Should we listen to it?" Nate asked.

"I don't think we have a choice. Caitlyn will ask me."

Nate nodded. "Okay then. Here we go."

Nate stood up and put the CD in the stereo in his dressing room. He sat back down beside Jason and they both nervously waited for the song to start.

"_Preacher man walked into the club and he said  
He said, 'hey girl can't you walk and not stray?'  
Father, I'm torn and I'm selling my soul to the  
Rhythm, the beat and the bass  
Cause I can't confess my rock and roll ways  
Cause I'm so possessed with the music  
The music he plays._

_I can't stop my feet from dancing  
To the sound of his drums  
Oh no, I fell in love with my rock god  
I can't keep my hips from swaying  
To his sweet melody, you see  
I fell in love with my rock, rock god."_

Jason and Nate exchanged amused grins and Nate shook his head. Jason blushed lightly as he listened. The idea of someone thinking he was a "Rock God" made him slightly uncomfortable.

"_Preacher man took my hand and looked in my eyes  
He said, hey girl can't you live your life right  
Father things aren't always so black and white  
Don't cast the first stone cause I'm not alone  
And it's not like I'm hurting anyone  
But I can't confess my rock, my rock and roll ways_

_I can't stop my feet from dancing_  
_To the sound of his drum_  
_Oh no, I fell in love with my rock god_  
_I can't keep my hips from swaying_  
_To his sweet melody, you see_  
_I fell in love with my rock, rock god_

_No, I wouldn't change a thing even if I could  
Cuz' I chose a path and I'm not looking back  
And I'm sorry if I left the angels crying over me_

_I can't stop my feet from dancing_  
_To the sound of his drum_  
_Oh no, I fell in love with my rock god_  
_I can't keep my hips from swaying_  
_To his sweet melody, you see_  
_I fell in love with my rock, rock god."_

There was silence after the song ended and Nate cleared his throat.

"I don't know whether I'm flattered or mortified," Nate said as he quickly took the CD out.

"You don't think they'll make that a single do you?" Jason asked.

"If Caitlyn knows it makes you blush like that she will," Nate said with a smirk. "She enjoys torturing you."

"No one ever finds out that this song is about us, deal?" Jason asked.

Nate nodded and shook his hand. "Deal."

"I don't need the pressure of being a 'Rock God'," Jason said with a sigh.

"And we don't need Shane rubbing in our faces," Nate said with a shake of his head.

"Or whining that no one calls _him_ a 'Rock God' because you know he would," Jason said with a chuckle.

"You know, the words of this song say 'fell _in love_'…you don't think that Ella—"

"Nate, no. I'm sorry, but that's not something you admit for the first time _over the phone_," Jason told him with a scolding tone. "Besides it's only been a week and a half. I doubt things would change that much too quickly."

Nate sighed. "You know, I started out determined to be patient with her and wait for her to be ready, but…I really want her to be ready _now_."

Jason chuckled and patted his shoulder. "I know you do, but you're going to run the risk of scaring her if you try to rush things."

"The time apart is driving me insane. It's like not being able to see her face is making me want to read into things way too much. Absence makes the heart grow fonder _and_ the mind lose touch."

Jason laughed lightly and shook his head at Nate.

"I'm serious, man!" Nate said defensively.

"I know you are," Jason said through laughter. "That's why it's funny."

"What?" Nate asked in confusion.

"After Tess left you I never really thought I'd see this side of you again, my friend. It's nice," Jason said honestly.

"Nice? It's nice to see me tortured?" Nate asked dryly.

"It's nice to see you actually _caring_ for someone this deeply," Jason told him. "Until Ella came along you ignored every girl that showed even the _slightest_ bit of interest in you. I'm just glad you've gotten past that."

Nate smiled and nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, me too. I was kind of a tool to all the girls between Tess and Ella, wasn't I?"

Jason chuckled and nodded. "Hell yes. I felt so sorry for those poor girls. You were either rude or you completely ignored them. They were punished for what Tess did to you."

"Every girl I met reminded me of her. I couldn't seem to stop myself. And it wasn't even that I wanted her back…because I definitely didn't, but it was the fact that things ended so-she left me for another man and she didn't seem to face _any_ consequences! It all felt so…_unfair_."

"Well, Ella's nothing like Tess. She's a good one, Nate. Really," Jason assured him.

Nate smiled warmly. "I know. Believe me, _I know_."

* * *

The rest of the week passed quickly and finally the night of the New York show was upon them. Troy Stephens was meeting them after the show. The president of their record label was going to have a personal meeting with them as soon as they're concert was finished. No one could believe it. It was a huge deal.

Ella was beyond nervous. So far, the tour had been amazing. The crowds had responded very well to them and according to Tina there were now a few fansites dedicated to them. Tina was getting more and more calls from magazines about interviews and she was currently trying to work a photo shoot into their schedule to send out to different publications for any reviews or articles that might be written in the future. Their collective careers were picking up steam, but tonight's performance could determine whether that momentum continued.

"How you doin' Ella?" Lola asked as she entered her dressing room. "Still breathing?"

"Yes, somehow. Oh God, you live here…are New York audiences fickle and mean?" Ella asked frantically.

Lola laughed. "No, definitely not. Relax, El. You've got this. You've rocked every city we've been to, and New York won't be any different."

"Are you sure?" Ella asked as she nibbled on one of her nails.

"Positive."

Sander stopped in Ella's door and knocked on the doorframe. He smiled easily at the girls in front of him. "Show time."

"Oh God," Ella said with a gulp. "I think I'm gonna throw up."

Sander rolled his eyes and chuckled. "You always say that and you never do. The lights hit you and you have a blast. You know how this works, Ella."

"Besides you're performing 'Rock God' for the first time tonight. You've been excited about that all week," Lola reminded her. "You can't chicken out now."

Ella still didn't look convinced and Sander sighed as he pulled out his cell phone. He dialed a familiar number. Ella listened as he spoke into the phone.

"Hey, Nate. Ella's freaking out about performing tonight," Sander said with a grin. "Care to talk some sense into her? I appreciate this, buddy. Hold on a second."

Ella glared at Sander as he tossed her his phone.

"Nate's on the phone for you," Sander said with a smirk.

Ella rolled her eyes and spoke up sarcastically. "Gee, thanks."

"Just doing my part as a friend," Sander told her with a wink. "C'mon, Lola, let's give them some privacy."

Ella waited until the door closed to talk into the phone. "Nate?"

"Hey, Ells," He said happily. "Anything wrong?"

"No, just terrified out of my mind."

Nate laughed and Ella felt herself relax at the sound. The tension just floated away.

"Ella, you've done this several times before. You're an outstanding performer. You have nothing to be terrified of," Nate reassured her.

"Troy Stephens is going to be in the audience tonight, Nathaniel," Ella said gravely. "That's a lot of pressure."

"It's not just pressure on you. It's pressure on everyone. They're all going to be out there with you. They won't let you mess up. Not that you will. You never do," Nate told her.

Ella smiled softly. "This is why you're my boyfriend. You know _just_ what to say to make me feel better about myself."

"I just know _you_, that's all," Nate said warmly. "You're just as over dramatic as I am."

Ella laughed lightly. "No one is as over dramatic as you, Nate. You're a total drama queen."

"Wow, that's emasculating," Nate responded dryly. "Just shatter my self-perceived manliness, why don't you?"

"Someone has to, and wouldn't you rather it be your girlfriend who does so in love?" Ella asked with a giggle.

There was a long pause on the other end before Nate chuckled and spoke up in an unsure tone. "Well, when you put it that way."

Ella's brow furrowed. "Are you okay?"

He cleared his throat loudly but his voice still cracked when he spoke. "Yeah, I'm—I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Ella asked in concern.

"Just swallowed the wrong way I think. How many more minutes till you have to be on stage?" Nate asked.

"About five," Ella said with a sigh. "I should probably go."

"Yeah, good luck tonight, Ells. I know you'll be wonderful," Nate said softly.

"Thank you, you too!" Ella said with a sad sigh. "…I miss you."

"I miss you too," Nate told her as she heard him exhale slowly.

"See you soon?" Ella asked. "Hopefully?"

"I'm working on it. Believe me," Nate promised. "Call me after the show?"

"Will do," Ella told him. "Bye, Nate."

"Bye, Ella."

She reluctantly hung up before she took a deep breath and smiled. She could definitely do this show now. She slipped on her pumps and walked out into the hallway. She tossed Sander his phone as she passed him.

"Let's do this," Ella said with a bright smile.


	35. Chapter 35

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Five

* * *

"Oh my God, that was so _much fun_!" Ella exclaimed as she ran off stage.

"That was our best show yet!" Chevy exclaimed as he hugged Ella.

"And so it was," a new voice said from behind them.

Ella and Chevy both turned to see a very tall and well dressed man standing there. He nodded to them and held out a hand.

"Troy Stephens. It's a pleasure to finally meet the two of you," He said with a grin. "I've been looking forward to meeting the leaders of this band. You've come a long way in such a short time."

"Well, we've had help," Ella said humbly. "We've got a great manager, a great publicist, and we've worked with an outstanding producer. We definitely have to give them credit."

Troy smiled and nodded. "Humility. I like that in my artists. I'll be waiting in the green room for our meeting whenever the rest of the band and your manager are ready."

And with that he turned and walked away. Ella's eyes widened and she and Chevy shared an intimidating look. He seemed nice, but he was definitely all business.

"We gotta get everyone to the green room," Chevy said quickly. "_Now_."

Ella and Chevy scrambled to find the rest of the band and Caitlyn. Once they were all together they headed to the green room. They found Troy waiting on them with a wide smile. "Please, have a seat."

"Hello, Mr. Stephens," Caitlyn said as she shook his hand. "It's great to see you again."

"And you as well, Caitlyn. Your band put on a rather phenomenal show tonight. I've never seen a band so relatively unknown win people over so quickly. I think you've got lightening in a bottle here," Mr. Stephens said honestly.

"Thank you, Mr. Stephens," Caitlyn said with a bright smile as she sat down in between Chevy and Ella. "Coming from you that means a lot."

"Obviously, Vibe wants to push Ella Pador and the Times as much as possible. So, we want to have the band attached to a major tour right away. The tour with the most immediate opening is Mitchie Torres's tour, and since I hear that you're all friends with her I don't foresee that being objectionable. Do you?" Stephens asked with a grin.

"Of course not," Caitlyn answered. "We're ready for whatever you would like us to do."

"Good, so you go on tour with Mitchie and once that's over in about two weeks we'll find another tour to attach the band to and after that one ends you'll go back to LA to record an album. Does that sound like a good plan?"

Everyone nodded their consent and Mr. Stephens stood and smiled at the group. "I'm looking forward to doing business with all of you. You're a bright group, and you have a bright future as well. Good luck on Ms. Torres's tour, and make sure to have fun."

There was a chorus of "Yes, sir"s as Stephens left and once the door closed behind them they all jumped up and cheered and hugged each other in celebration.

"Guys," Andy said with a bright smile. "We're going to be a part of a real large-scale tour, and we haven't even been together for half a year! How did we do this?"

Caitlyn smiled at all of them. "It's like Stephens said, lightening in a bottle. It's meant to be."

* * *

Ella could hardly wait to call Nate and share the news, but she decided she wanted to tell him in private. So she was forcing herself to wait until she was safe inside of her hotel room. She raced back to her room and the shut the door and immediately dialed Nate's number. He answered on the first ring.

"So? What did Stephens say?"

Ella smiled brightly into the phone. "He's sending us on tour with Mitchie for two weeks and then he's going to look for another tour to send us on since hers will be over soon."

"Congrats, Ells. That's huge."

"I'm glad you're handling this so well," Ella said with a nervous sigh. "I know it's been a long time since we've seen each other."

"Ella, we have the rest of our lives to be together. We'll see each other soon. I'm not really worried about losing you," Nate said softly.

Ella smiled and spoke up warmly. "You're not? You're not worried that same mysterious stage hand will whisk me away?"

He chuckled. "No, I'm not. Should I be?"

"I don't know. I mean, there is this one guy," Ella said playfully.

"Thanks, now I'm paranoid," Nate said in a good humored tone.

"Well, Nate, I am hot. A little paranoia is probably a good thing," Ella said teasingly.

"Wow, it's also probably a good thing you're not on tour with us anymore," Nate said. "You're starting to sound like Shane."

Ella laughed. "And I definitely don't want that."

"When do you meet Mitchie's tour?" Nate asked.

"We leave tomorrow for Indianapolis to meet the tour, but we don't start as an opener until the next show in Nashville," Ella told him. "In fact, I should probably go to bed. We're leaving early tomorrow morning."

"Right, well, I'll talk to you tomorrow," Nate said hesitantly.

"I'll call you while we're on the road," Ella said. "I miss you, Nate. Quite a bit. Just so you know."

"I miss you too, Ells," Nate said.

"Good night, Nathanial," She said happily. "Sweet dreams."

"You too, Ella. Love you," Nate said almost automatically.

Ella's eyes widened and she gasped. "You—you _what_?"

"I—oh God, did I say that out loud?"

"You…you said you love me!"

"I didn't mean to!"

"Is it true?" Ella asked. "Do you love me?"

"Ella…"

"Do you?"

"Yes," He said slowly. "For a while time now."

"How long is that?" Ella asked with a gulp.

"Well, we bumped into each other four months ago right?"

"Yeah," Ella answered expectantly.

"So, for about two to three months now, I guess."

"Two…to three…" She repeated just before she went silent. He loved her? How? Why? They hadn't been dating long enough for love yet, had they? She felt her breathing quicken. "But we haven't been dating very long, Nate. How can you possibly know that you love me?"

"I just do, Ella. I have no doubts about it. I haven't felt this protective or concerned about anyone in a very long time. And I know this may not be a great time to tell you this or even the way _I_ wanted you to find out, but…I'm not going to change my mind or take it back. It's all true."

"You can't! You can't love me!"

"Why not?" Nate asked in a heated tone.

"Because I'm not..." She paused to gather her thoughts as her eyes began to water. "Everyone who loves me is just as screwed up as I am, and I don't want that to happen to you, okay? You better off _not_ loving me."

"Ella, you're not going to say anything to change my mind."

"I can't—Nate, I'm not ready for this," Ella told him as she took a deep breath.

"I'm not saying you have to be," Nate told her. "Really, Ella, take your time with it."

"No, Nate, what if I never feel the way you do?" She asked fearfully. "I can't handle feeling like I'm leading you on. Something one sided like that cannot end well!"

Nate was silent for a long time after that. She assumed he was trying to take everything in. Ella, for one, couldn't believe what she was about to do. She cared about Nate deeply, but the idea of being in a relationship that was so serious scared her. It was a lot of pressure. Not only that but until recently Ella had horrible luck. Her lucky streak was bound to break, and she didn't want Nate to be collateral damage. She sniffled and tried to hold back the tears should knew would eventually fall. It didn't help that when Nate spoke up again his voice cracked.

"Ella, what are you saying?"

"I—I can't do this, Nate," Ella said reluctantly as she felt tears spring to her eyes.

"Please don't do what I think you're about to do."

"I think—"

"Ella, don't."

"—we should take a break."

"I don't want to take a break. We can't take a break."

"We have to, Nate. I need time. I need time to think," Ella said as her emotions began to betray her. Her voice sounded thick with sadness. "I have to go now. I'm sorry, Nate. Really I am."

"Ella, listen to me—"

She shut her eyes tight and ended the call. She hated to hang up on him, but she'd made her decision and she knew Nate wouldn't give up trying to talk her out of it. She threw her phone on to the floor and curled up underneath her sheets. She'd just ended the best relationship she'd ever been in. She was either really brave or very stupid. She had a feeling it was more the latter. This was not how she'd wanted things to go with Nate. Not at all. She buried her face in her pillow and screamed in frustration before she rolled over onto her side and began to sob uncontrollably.

What was wrong with her? She'd just broken up with a wonderful man because he _loved_ her. God, she was so screwed up. Nate really was better off without her.

* * *

Nate stared at his phone for a long time after she hung up on him. He couldn't believe what just happened. Of all the outcomes, he hadn't expected that one. He knew Jason had warned him that he might scare her away, but he'd never really thought…

He sighed and chucked his phone into the wall. He was so stupid! How could he let that slip out? He knew she wasn't ready! He'd been told that it would only scare her, and yet…he'd forgotten his brain to mouth filter for a split second and said it anyway.

She'd broken up with him. One minute things were perfect and the next…

They were over. He couldn't let this be it. He had to do something. Ella wasn't getting away from him that easily. If she needed a little bit of time he'd give it to her, but he had far from given up. He'd win her over eventually. He loved her and he knew they were meant to be. She just needed a little time to see that.

Even if it killed him in the meantime.

He closed his eyes and focused on calming himself down, and when that didn't work he pulled out his guitar. He could always depend on music when all else failed.

He was about to face the toughest challenge he'd ever come up against. Trying to keep himself from the woman he loved. It was taking everything in him not to take the next flight out to Indianapolis and wait for her there. But he had a feeling that would be crossing some sort of line. He began to strum faster and louder as he continued to think.

He sighed when he finally came to a conclusion. The most he could do was give her the space she needed and try his hardest not to go after her or hold this decision against her. She was scared of her personal history repeating itself, and as much as he hated it he could understand it. He'd been there himself not too long ago.

Until her, that is.

* * *

The next few days were the worst Ella had in a long time. She'd wanted to call Nate so many times. She kept forgetting that she'd ended it. She'd have a moment where she would think of something he'd find amusing or something he'd want to know and she'd reach for her phone…only to remember they weren't together.

Every time she remembered she broke down. Performing helped though. It was therapeutic, and allowed her to forget about Nate. She'd decided to throw herself into work. She'd started writing songs, working on training her voice, and insisted that Andy teach her how to play the drums. Anything she could do to distract herself she would do. As long as she was busy she couldn't think about Nate and how much she missed him. It felt like a piece of her was missing. She was having phantom pains over Nate's missing presence in her life.

She'd been crying herself to sleep (silently when she had to sleep on the tour bus and very loudly when she was in the privacy of her own hotel room.) She'd thought she was hiding it well, but she wasn't.

Everyone knew. They could see it in her eyes. She was heartbroken and exhausted. The worst part was they all knew there was no reason for it. She was in love with Nate. She buried it and refused to admit it but it was there. She was terrified of it, but everyone could see it. She needed Nate, and this separation was showing her just how much.

It would take time for her to break down and admit it to herself, but they were all confident it would happen. Sooner rather than later.

Ella was scribbling away on a song when Mitchie and Caitlyn approached her.

"Hey, El, what are you up to?" Mitchie asked.

"Working on a song."

"What's it called?" Caitlyn asked as she tried to get a glimpse of it.

Ella pulled the music toward her and covered it up. "Um, right now I'm calling it 'Fix a Heart'."

"Need any help with it?" Mitchie offered.

"No, I got it. Thanks though," Ella said with a sigh.

"Are you okay?" Caitlyn asked. "Do you need to talk about all of this Nate stuff?"

"Need to?" Ella asked rhetorically. "Probably. Do I want to? No."

"Ella no one can blame you for being scared," Caitlyn told her. "Especially me. I avoided Jason for a whole week after he told me he loved me, and he'd been in love with me for _years _at that point. So I get it. Believe me, and I'd be happy to talk it out with you anytime you feel like it."

Ella smiled sadly at her. "Thanks, Cait. I appreciate that, but I think this is something I have to work out for myself, you know?"

Caitlyn nodded. "I know, I just wanted to offer."

Ella nodded. "I'll keep that offer in mind. So, how are the guys? Anyone talked to them lately?"

She tried to pretend she wasn't just asking about Nate, but they could see straight through that.

"They're busy but good," Mitchie said. "Shane said their album is almost finished."

"And Jason going insane since he hasn't seen me in three weeks," Caitlyn said with a grin.

"And Nate," Mitchie said slowly. "Well, he's going the best he can I guess. Shane said he's thrown himself into the album and the tour with all he has."

"…do they hate me?" Ella asked quietly.

Mitchie reached over and squeezed Ella's hand. "No one hates you, Ella. Some of us might be confused, but we don't hate you. We could never hate you."

"Promise?" Ella asked. "I'm not gonna be forgotten again?"

Mitchie and Caitlyn shared a heartbroken look at the hurt childlike tome of her voice.

"No, Ella," Caitlyn said as she pulled the shorter girl in for a hug. "Never again. We promise."

Ella breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."

"Were you afraid we were going to ditch you now that you and Nate are on a break?" Mitchie asked in concern.

Ella gulped and spoke up softly. "The thought did cross my mind."

"I don't care what your relationship status is or with who we will never let you disappear from our lives again," Mitchie told her. "You can count on that."

Ella nodded and hugged both of them. "You have no idea how much better that makes me feel. Thank you."

"That's what we're here for, El," Caitlyn said with a kind smile. "And we _are _here. For as long as you need us. Never doubt that."


	36. Chapter 36

**A/N: **Lots of songs are mentioned in this chapter. I used lyrics from Demi Lovato songs: "Hold Up", "Lightweight", "My Love's Like a Star", and "Fix a Heart". Lyrics from Ashley Tisdale songs: "Me Without You"and "Erase & Rewind". Lyrics from Selena Gomez & The Scene songs: "Ghost of You", "A Year Without Rain", and "The Way I Loved You". You'll see why later. Enjoy!

Happy reading!

angellwings

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Six

* * *

It was a week later and Ella didn't feel any better about the break up. It still hurt. _A lot_. She was beginning to seriously think she made a mistake. Nate admitted he loved her and she let her fear get the best of her. The fears that she thought she got rid of by writing "How Do You Love Someone" with Chevy. Clearly they were still there. And now she was worried she let her fears consume her and ignored what she _really_ felt.

She knew what she had with Nate had made her happier than she'd ever been. She'd never been with someone who could make her forget the present so easily. Nate made her forget about her problems and worries for however long they were together and any time she'd started to get out of hand he was excellent at soothing her.

And he _loved_ her. She finally admitted to herself that she _knew_ that before he said it. He didn't have to say it. He showed it to her through his actions every day. He'd been _wonderful_ to her.

She knew what he felt, but what did _she_ feel? She'd tried ignoring what she felt for Nate since the break up, but that wasn't helping her. She knew now she had to _face it_. She had to figure out how she felt and then figure out _what_ to do about it.

She sighed and pulled a stack of music out of her tote bag. It was all the music she'd written since her last conversation with Nate. She gulped and glanced through it. If anything could tell her how she really felt it would be these songs. She was brutally honest in her songs. Always had been and always would be.

She reached for the top song on the pile and just as she glanced at the first word there was a knock on her hotel room door. She huffed and ripped the door open.

"What?"

Chevy's eyes widened and he winced. "Yikes, bad mood?"

"I was in the middle of something."

"Well put it on pause. The car's waiting downstairs to take us to the venue. It's time for sound check," He said as he motioned her out into the hallway.

"Alright, alright," Ella said as she grabbed her purse. "I'm coming."

She stared longingly at the stack of music on her nightstand before she closed the door behind her. It would have to wait until after the show.

* * *

Ella was getting ready for the concert when there was a knock on her door. All she had left to do was put on her accessories and her headset microphone. She used both a headset and a wireless hand mike during their sets. It allowed her more movement on stage. So when there was a knock on her door she assumed it was one of the sound men coming to strap a mike pack around her waist.

"It's open!" She called. She was completely surprised to look up and see Tess walk through the door.

Ella blinked at her for several minutes before she spoke. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see the show," Tess said quietly.

"And you just thought you'd pop by and say hello to the girl you helped try and ruin?" Ella asked in a clipped tone.

"Sort of," Tess said nervously. "I also wanted to apologize."

Ella's eyes widened. "Fine, apologize away. It's been a long time coming I think."

Tess sighed and nodded. "Okay. I've been treating you badly for a very long time now. Since we were kids—"

"Yes, I know."

Tess huffed and continued. "Mostly it's because I was jealous, and then when you didn't seem affected by what I did anymore I just decided to ignore you and pretend you didn't exist. But then…then you started dating Nate."

"And you were jealous again?" Ella asked knowingly.

"Yes," Tess answered hesitantly. "Because I made a mistake when I let him go. A huge and horrible mistake. To this day he was the best boyfriend I've ever had, and I want him back."

"You're never going to get him back. I hope you know that," Ella told her honestly.

"Believe me, I know. I feel it every day. I did what I did in an attempt to split the two of you up, but it seems it only made you closer. And I regret it. I regret so much. Not just because it failed, but because it was all lies. All of it. You've done nothing to me and yet all I've done is hurt you, and then Nate…well I think we both know I've hurt him _enough_. In trying to get him back I just pushed him further away. And Colby…he's an idiot. Not solely because of how he treated you either. He's just generally stupid."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Ella muttered. "I'm well aware."

"I should never have teamed up with him. Neither you nor Nate deserved that, and I'm sincerely sorry, Ella. I really am," Tess said as she finished up.

"Well, thank you, and please don't do that again," Ella said with forced politeness.

"I, um," Tess paused and then continued. "I heard you broke up with him."

Ella rolled her eyes and glared at her. "What? Are you gonna go stalk him and jump his bones now?"

"Don't think it hasn't crossed my mind, but I think he'd throw me out faster than I could even make a move to jump."

"Then why bring it up?" Ella asked with a glare.

Tess sighed. "I want to warn you."

"Warn me?" Ella asked. "What could you warn me about?"

"Don't let him get away, Ella. I did, and I hate myself for it. You still have time to fix this, and you _should_ fix it. You'll regret it as much as I do if you don't," Tess told her. "And that's all I wanted to say."

Ella bit her bottom lip and gulped. "That's _it_? That's a lot to say, you know."

Tess nodded. "But you needed to hear it. I think."

"Did you love him?" Ella asked softly.

Tess glanced down on the floor as she answered. "Not until it was too late."

"What did you do when he told you?"

Tess blushed in embarrassment and shame. "I…laughed."

Ella stared at Tess sadly. "You laughed? He told you he loved you and you _laughed_?"

"Well, from what I hear you just shot him down point blank. How is that much better?" Tess asked defensively.

Ella's eyes widened and she turned to look at herself in the mirror. Oh God. Tess actually had a point. "It's…_not_. It's not at all. I reacted just as badly as you." Ella flopped down in the arm chair in the corner of her dressing room. "Oh, God. I'm terrible. I…_rejected_ Nate. Sweet, wonderful, caring Nate. Why did I do that?"

"Well, I'm sure your reasons were a lot less hurtful than mine," Tess told her. "I laughed because I thought it was adorable that _he_ thought we were in an actual relationship. I thought it was obvious I was just using him and yet _he_ had real feelings. So I laughed. It was cruel and stupid, but it happened."

Ella scoffed. "I'm just a coward. A stupid, ridiculous coward who runs at the very idea of non-familial love."

Tess shrugged. "Potato-potahto."

Ella quirked a brow at her and then chuckled at her. "Not that I didn't totally deserve the big apology you made, but…thank you for making it anyway. You could have ignored it and me…like you usually do, but you didn't. Thanks."

"Everybody has to grow up sometime," Tess said as she turned to face the mirror with Ella. "I just took a little longer than everyone else."

"Hey, Ella," Caitlyn said as she stopped in Ella's doorway. "You should get out there it's time for—" Caitlyn cut herself off when she spotted Tess. "What the hell is _she_ doing here?"

"She's apologizing," Ella said with an awkward smile.

"No, really, what is she doing here?" Caitlyn asked in disbelief.

* * *

The show ended and Ella headed directly to her room. They were doing two shows in Atlanta so they didn't have to pack up and leave tonight. Which gave her time to review her songs. Her talk with Tess had been enlightening. She had a lot to think about and her songs would only help her.

She spread across her bed with her stack of music and started to look through them one by one. She discovered that each was illuminating in its own way. She could find at least one line in each that revealed something about how she really felt about Nate.

"_Keep me from falling apart. Keep me from falling down drowned in your love. It's almost all too much."_

"_It's probably what's best for you. I only want what's best for you, and if I'm not the best than you're stuck. I try to sever ties and I ended with wounds to bind like you're pouring salt in my cuts."_

"_My love's like a star, yeah. You can't always see me but you know that I'm always there."_

"_Out of nowhere showed up. I'm in love. This heist got me skippin' a heart beat. I'm givin' up."_

"_Guess I should leave this behind. Guess I should erase and rewind. Somehow I can't seem to stay away."_

"_I feel like I'm hanging by a thread it's a long way down. I've been trying to breathe, but I'm fighting for air. I'm at an all time low with no place to go, but you're always there when everything falls apart and it seems like the world is crashing at my feet. You like me the best when I'm a mess, when I'm my own worst enemy."_

"_And I'll never be quite the same as I was before this. Part of you still remains though it's out of focus."_

"_Been missin' you so much. Can't help that I'm in love. A day without you is like a year without rain. I need you by my side don't know how I'll survive."_

"_But even if I fall in love again with someone new. It could never be the way I loved you. Letting you go is making me feel so cold and I've been trying to make believe it doesn't hurt, but that makes it worse."_

Ella let out a shaky breath and immediately felt her eyes water. It was right in front of her all along, and yet she somehow _chose_ to ignore it. She'd been in love with Nate for so much longer than she knew. She truly _loved_ him. That's why being away from him hurt so much or why he was able to make her feel so much better with such small simple actions. He was everything she ever wanted and so much more. She loved him so much that she actually _ached_ for him. All the time. Every day she didn't talk to him or see him _hurt_.

She set the songs aside and spread across her bed. Now the question was…what did she do about it?

There was a knock on her door and Ella reluctantly answered it. She wasn't in the mood for a visitor. When she opened the door and found Peggy standing on the other side though she felt something break. She _needed_ to get this off of her chest. Peggy wouldn't have been her first choice, but she would certainly be helpful.

Without another word Ella pulled her inside. "Perfect timing. What are you doing here anyway?"

"Visiting Chevy, and um…by the way, hi."

"Hi, I need your help," Ella said urgently.

"With what?"

"With Nate. I'm in love with him and breaking up with him was the worst decision I ever made. I need you to help me figure out what to do about it."

Peggy's eyebrows rose. "You came to this conclusion just now?"

"It's been slowing coming on since I ended it I think. Will you help me?"

"Of course I will, Ella. The two of you are perfect," Peggy said with a nod.

Ella hugged her impulsively. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

Peggy's eyes landed on the huge pile of music. "Wow, you've had a very active muse I see."

Ella sighed. "She was trying to tell me something that I wasn't listening to."

"And what was she trying to tell you?" Peggy asked.

Ella bit her bottom lip thoughtfully before she answered. "To fall. To fall like I don't need saving."

Peggy nodded and then narrowed her eyes as she suddenly got an idea. "That sounds like a song lyric."

Ella gasped. "Oh my God, it does. Where's my guitar?"

Peggy smiled to herself as Ella frantically searched the room for her guitar. She'd heard Ella had been completely lost the last couple of weeks, and Peggy had come over to see if she could get her to talk. But this Ella…this Ella reminded her of the Ella she knew at camp. Full of hope and drive. This was an Ella with a purpose, and Peggy was grateful to finally see that again after all these years.

"It's in the corner, Ella," Peggy told her as she pointed to the big black guitar shaped case.

"Oh! Thank you! How did I miss that?" Ella said as she quickly placed the case on her bed and opened. "Will you brainstorm this song with me? You're a brilliant song writer and I'm still sort of new."

"I'm happy to help however I can. Where do you want to start?"

"The lyrics. The lyrics are first. For this song anyway," Ella said as she crossed the room and grabbed a notebook. She was buzzing at a hundred miles an hour, and at this rate the song would be done before the night was over. Peggy couldn't help but think that Ella may not even need her help, but she'd be there as long as it took. Just in case.

She'd failed Ella once, and she promised herself she'd never do that again.

They sat and worked for hours. Neither of them even bothered to look at the clock. Ella was on a roll and to stop now would probably change the tone of the song. So they kept going with the lyrics, and didn't stop until they were complete.

"And done!" Ella exclaimed as she put her pen down. "And it's only two in the morning! Sweet!"

Peggy chuckled, "Only two in the morning? Is that _early_ for you?"

"Once I've started working on a song I can't stop until it's finished," Ella told her.

Peggy nodded. "I remember. And we still have the music to write, don't we?"

"Yes," Ella said with a nod. "And I'm not sure what I want to do with it."

"Well, I was thinking it needs to be a tempo you can belt to and yet also a tempo listeners could dance to, you know? Sort of a mid-tempo, in between slow and fast. What do you think?"

"Oh, I like that idea. That way it can be plenty emotional without being too heavy," Ella nodded as she pulled her guitar out of the open case. "So, what do we do with the intro?"

And with that they went back to work. They both took turns with the guitar and played around with various notes and rhythms until they finally got what they wanted. They played the song through several times to make sure it fit and everything flowed the way it should and once they were happy they stopped.

"When do you want to show this to the band?" Peggy asked.

"I was thinking tomorrow. We've got a rehearsal time scheduled anyway to work on some of our newer songs since this tour is pretty much over. We want to have new songs ready for whatever Stephens decides to do with us. It's either another tour or we go into the studio to record. We want to be ready for both. I want to get Chevy's opinion on what to do with the arrangement and orchestration. So…yeah, tomorrow," Ella said with a happy sigh.

"You mean later today, right? It's four in the morning," Peggy said with a chuckle.

Ella groaned. "Great, I have to be up in three hours. Well, that's gonna be fun."

"Oh, that's right. You have a radio interview this morning."

"Unfortunately, and they will probably ask about Nate and Colby and Tess and all the drama," Ella said with a sigh. "Just once I'd like to get the usual 'what's your favorite color?' or 'tell us about your first kiss.' Why do I never get those questions?"

"I've gotten 'what color is your toothbrush?' before. That was pretty unusual," Peggy said with a grin.

Ella laughed lightly. "Why on earth would someone want to know that?"

"I have absolutely no idea, but ever since a few of my fans have been sending me purple toothbrushes in the mail," Peggy told her. "That'll start happening to you too pretty soon. Fans are awesome, but sometimes they do get a little crazy."

"Thanks for helping me with this tonight, Peggy. I appreciate it," Ella said with a smile.

"It's what friends do, and I know you're not exactly in the place to be _my_ friend but I want you to know that I'm _your_ friend. No matter what," Peggy told her.

Ella looked thoughtful for several minutes. "You know, I haven't thought about that all night. Not once did I think about…well you know."

"You didn't?" Peggy asked hopefully.

Ella took a deep breath and nodded. "I don't think our friendship will ever be what it was but I think…I think I'm ready to be friends again."

"Are you sure?"

Ella nodded and smiled brightly. "Positive."

Peggy hugged Ella tightly. "I'm so glad to hear you say that! I really have missed you!"

"I missed you too, Peg. I really have," Ella said as she returned the hug.

They pulled apart and smiled at each other for a moment before Peggy finally stood up and gathered her stuff. "Well, I'll go and let you get some sleep."

"Thanks," Ella said as she stood up as well. "You're coming to the show tomorrow right?"

Peggy nodded. "And your rehearsal and your sound check. Chevy's pretty much wanting me by his side all day tomorrow. Except for the morning interviews. I flat out refused. I mean I care about the guy, but I am _not_ a morning person unless I have to be."

Ella laughed and shook her head. "That's Chevy for you. Intense and overwhelming."

"I feel like that describes _most_ men with a talent for music, don't you?" Peggy asked jokingly.

"It definitely describes Nate."

"And Jason, according to Caitlyn," Peggy said with a nod.

"We should ask Mitchie tomorrow if that describes Shane," Ella said with a chuckle.

"It probably will," Peggy said with a smirk. "Alright, I'm gonna go. Good night, Ella."

"G'night, Peggy," Ella said as Peggy walked out the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."


	37. Chapter 37

**A/N:** This is the last chapter, folks! I was gonna post it later today, but Icing was dying to read it. **So this is for her. I want to thank her and snoupy and Ami for being my faithful reviewers lately! You guys rock!** Also thanks to anyone who's reviewed this since I started posting it forever ago! Thank you so much! ;)

The song in this chapter is "Unbroken" by Demi Lovato. Enjoy!

Happy reading,

angellwings

P.S. There's an epilogue coming very soon!

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

Chapter Thirty-Seven

* * *

The band was waiting in one of the conference rooms at the label's headquarters for Caitlyn to come back from her meeting with Mr. Stephens. This meeting would determine where they would go next. On another tour or back to LA to record. Ella didn't know which one she wanted more. All she knew was either option kept her from apologizing to Nate. She sighed and tapped her nails on the table. All this waiting was driving her insane.

Caitlyn finally came in, but her expression told them nothing. She was blank. She cleared her throat and looked at all them. "We're going back on tour, guys."

"With who?" Andy asked.

One side of Caitlyn's mouth turned upward and she chuckled. "Who would you _want_ to be on tour with Andy?"

"Well, Kelly's still on the Connect Three/Headline tour so that would be my first choice," He said honestly as he gave Ella an awkward sidelong glance.

"Then you're in luck cause that's where we're going," Caitlyn said as a large smile spread across her face. "We meet the tour tomorrow night for sound check and your first performance as their opening act."

Ella's eyes widened and she gulped fearfully. "Oh my God."

Caitlyn grinned at her. "You up for winning back your man, El?"

Ella nodded slowly. "God, I hope so because this is my chance."

* * *

"What do you mean they're coming back?" Nate asked Jason with wide eyes.

"Stephens put them on our tour as our new opener."

"Because it's not already hard enough for me to give Ella her space. Now I have to see her everyday and try not to talk to her. Does the universe just like to torture me or something? Because that's what it feels like," Nate said as he ran a hand through his hair. "This is killing me."

"I know how you feel man. I went through the exact same thing," Jason said as he patted Nate's shoulder. "But maybe she'll come to her senses when she finally sees you again. You never know."

"So, what do I do? Pretend she's not a part of the tour? I mean, how do I handle this?" Nate asked frantically.

"Just wait for her to come to you. If she acknowledges you then you do the same. Let her actions be your guide, man. It's that simple," Jason told him. "That's how I won over Caity."

"I'm not sure how much more of this I can take. This is torture."

"This might be just what the two of you need though, dude," Shane added as he packed up his bag for the hotel.

They were on the road and would be arriving at their hotel soon, and then from there they'd head to the venue for that night's concert where Ella Pador & the Times would meet the rest of the tour and start there sound check. Which Nate would be able to hear from his dressing room. He'd be listening to Ella sing again in a few short hours. He smiled slightly at that. He'd missed hearing her sing or just _hearing her_ at all.

Nate sighed. "I hope so. I'm more than ready to have her back."

* * *

"How should I act when I see him?" Ella asked Caitlyn nervously.

"Well, be polite. Say hello, wave. Just try and act natural," Caitlyn answered. "Also, you might want to mention that he should catch your set tonight. Since you're _performing_ your apology to him, right?"

Ella gulped and nodded. "Right."

"Don't chicken out," Caitlyn warned her. "Walk straight to his dressing room door and knock before you lose nerve."

"I think I might be sick," Ella said as she rubbed her temples and closed her eyes.

Caitlyn rolled her eyes. "You've cried wolf too many times for me to believe that."

"Do we have to walk you there or can we trust that you'll do this on your own?" Tina asked as she nudged Ella's shoulder teasingly.

"I can do it. I can definitely do it…I think," Ella said as she took a deep breath.

The tour bus pulled into the lot behind the venue and parked next to the other buses before they let the band out. Their instruments had been sent ahead of them and should be set up on the stage already. Jamie led them into the venue and to their dressing rooms. Ella changed into her performance outfit for that night and headed to the sound platform in the back of the auditorium where one of the sound guys set her up with a headset microphone and a microphone pack.

And once that was done she immediately headed toward Nate's dressing room. She'd been told where the headliners' rooms were and she immediately went looking for it. Instead she ran into her father.

"Bella Ella!" He exclaimed as he wrapped his arms around her and spun her around. "I'm so happy to see you!"

She laughed lightly and hugged him in return. "Good to see you too, daddy. Are the guys here?"

Van set her down on her feet and his brow furrowed. "Those Connect Three guys, you mean?"

"Yes, them," Ella said with a nod.

"I thought you broke up with that Nate kid."

"I did, but I need to talk to him," Ella said with a sad sigh. "Is he here?"

"I haven't seen them arrive yet. They were a little later getting to the hotel than we were though."

Ella sighed. "Great, I have to report to sound check in five minutes. Can you give him a message for me?"

"Sure, Bella, what do you need?"

"Can you tell him that he really needs to hear our set? I want to make sure he's there," Ella told Van nervously. "Can you tell him?"

"No problem, Bella," Van said with a smile. "He'll be there."

"Good, thank you, daddy," Ella said as she kissed his cheek. "Have a good show."

"You too, Princess," Van said as he watched her go. His little girl wanted Nate to see her set and he was going to. Van would make sure of it.

* * *

Nate opened the door to his dressing room after his sound check, and crashed in the nearest chair. He hadn't seen Ella yet, but he knew it was because they both had sound checks and interviews and he thought he'd heard something about Ella Pador & The Times having a meet and greet with a small group of fans. So they were both fairly busy prior to the show. He still wished he'd seen her. Just to look at her would be enough for now. He opened his eyes and stood up to grab his phone. Maybe she called him.

But that's when he froze. There standing in the corner of his room was Van Pador.

"You're back."

Nate blinked at him. "Um, hello. What—Uh, can I help you with something?"

"Ella Pador & the Times set is about to start."

"Alright, um, thanks for the notification?" Nate said in an uncertain tone. "I can hear them over the PA system in here."

"Oh no, you're coming with me," Van told him. He held open Nate's dressing room door and motioned him into the hallway. "Come on, kid. Let's go."

Nate gulped nervously at the intimidating look on Van Pador's face. "Yes, sir. Right away."

He briskly walked out into the hallway and toward the wings of the stage. He looked back a few times to find Van one step behind him all the way. Nate wasn't normally scared very easily, but Van Pador was an intimidating man. Nate waved to the stage hands as he passed them and sat down in one of the chairs by the wings. Ella was on the other side of the stage with the rest of the band. She looked up and her eyes connected with his. He waited to see what her reaction would be.

She gave him a small wave and smiled shyly. He reflexively smiled and waved back. In his opinion that was an excellent reaction. She didn't look terrified or disgusted. She looked…_pleased_ and…anxious.

Dale from Headline stepped out onstage to introduce them.

"Hello, beautiful people!" Dale said loudly with a warm smile. "Tonight is a special night for all of us because we're welcoming to the tour a band we've watched establish themselves and grow and who have worked their way to becoming one of our opening acts for the rest of the tour. Please welcome to the stage, a band we are very proud of, Ella Pador & The Times!"

Nate smiled with pride as they all ran out on stage. Ella looked gorgeous. She was always gorgeous, but tonight…she glowed. And he wasn't sure if it was because of the sequins she was wearing or if it was because it had been so long since he'd seen her, but he was captivated. He grinned as the sequins reflected the stage lights and couldn't help but think how much she was reminding him of her old self. The Camp Rock Ella was starting to peek through again, and he couldn't be happier for her.

She waved to the crowd and adjusted her headset microphone. When she moved he noticed a chain shining around her neck, and he smiled even brighter. It was the guitar pick necklace he gave her. She was wearing it. That small gesture gave him more hope than he'd ever thought possible.

"Hey, guys," Ella said with a soft chuckle. "Wow, you're a very loud crowd."

"Hey, you rhymed!" Chevy told her with a wink.

Ella rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder. "I'm trying to talk here, brother."

"My apologies, continue," Chevy said with a smirk.

"We're really grateful to be here, and we want to say thank you to Vibe Records and everyone on this tour for supporting us. And we definitely want to thank all of fans out there. Without you guys this wouldn't be possible."

The crowd roared and Ella's eyes widened. "Oh my goodness." She waited for the roar to die a little before she continued. "Tonight we're going to be performing some new songs for you for the first time, and we hope you like them. Um, we're starting out with a song I wrote a few days ago." She paused and turned to look at Nate. "I wrote it for someone very special to me, and I hope that he'll understand everything I'm trying to say. So, here we go. The songs called 'Unbroken'. Enjoy."

She'd written him a song. _That's_ why Van had basically kidnapped him. The song started and he immediately loved the beat. He wanted to watch her, but he felt like if he did he wouldn't listen to the lyrics. The very sight of her right now was clouding every thought in his brain. So he closed his eyes as she started to sing. She wanted him to hear this and that meant he should really _listen_.

"_Locked up tight_

_Like I would never feel again_

_Stuck in some kind of love prison_

_And threw away the key_

_Terrified_

_Until I stared into your eyes_

_Made me start to realize _

_The possibilities_

_So, So…_

_I'm gonna love you like I've never been broken_

_I'm gonna say it like it's never been spoken_

_Tonight, tonight I'm letting go, go, go, go_

_I'm gonna give it like it's never been taken_

_I'm gonna fall like I don't need saving_

_Tonight, tonight I'm letting go, go, go, go_

_So played out_

_The same lies with a different face_

_But there's something in the words you say_

_That makes it all feel so real_

_I'm gonna love you like I've never been broken_

_I'm gonna say it like it's never been spoken_

_Tonight, tonight I'm letting go, go, go, go_

_I'm gonna give it like it's never been taken_

_I'm gonna fall like I don't need saving_

_Tonight, tonight I'm letting go, go, go, go_

_No need for me to run, run, run_

_You're making me believe in everything_

_No need to go and hide, hide, hide_

_Gonna give you every little piece of me_

_I'm gonna love you like I've never been broken_

_I'm gonna love you like I've never been broken_

_I'm gonna love you like I've never been broken__  
_

_I'm gonna say it like it's never been spoken_

_Tonight, tonight I'm letting go, go, go, go_

_I'm gonna give it like it's never been taken_

_I'm gonna fall like I don't need saving_

_Tonight, tonight I'm letting go, go, go, go."_

Nate's smile widened with every verse, chorus, and word. He knew exactly what she was trying to say. She was ready. She was ready to love and be loved, and to be in a _real_ long term relationship with him. _She loved him_, and she was done denying it and hiding from him. _His_ Ella was back…for him.

"Nate," A voice hissed. He opened his eyes and turned to glare at whoever was speaking to him as the song ended.

"What?" He asked as he realized it was Shane.

"What are you doing here man? We have a show to get ready for," Shane whispered.

"Ella wanted me to hear something," Nate told him as his glare intensified.

"Well, have you heard it yet?"

Nate sighed. "Yes, but I'm still processing."

"Hurry up, dude. We have to be down in the tunnel to get ready for the platform," Shane said as he turned and walked away.

He looked at Ella one last time and just happened to catch her eye. She smiled nervously at him and gave him a questioning look. He nodded and smiled warmly at her. He pulled a sharpie out of his pocket and scribbled down a note on the back of a program he found backstage. He gave her a meaningful look and handed it to Van.

"Will you give that to Ella when she comes offstage, please?" Nate asked in a polite tone.

Van smiled and nodded. "Not a problem, kid. Go take your places for the show."

Van held up the program to Ella and waved it. Once Nate was out of her line of sight she turned and went back to her band's set. That appeared to go well. He'd smiled at her, and she could tell he'd been listening to the lyrics really closely. He'd closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. Both were signs that Nate was analyzing every word he heard.

She was going to take that to mean he understood what she was saying. _I'm sorry. I love you. I have for a while. I was scared. But I'm not anymore. I want to be with you._

Their non-verbal exchanges would have to satisfy her for now because there was a whole concert to get through, and she was, now and forever,…a professional.

* * *

Normally when they were in a city for more than one night they could stay and watch the show, but tonight's crowd was unusually large so for safety reasons each act was sent back to the hotel as they finished their sets. This meant Ella wouldn't get to speak with Nate until much later that night. The bus would stay at the venue and a van would take Ella Pador & the Times to the hotel.

While on the van Ella read Nate's note over and over. It was all the hope she had at the moment.

"_Please wait up for me. We need to talk. I'll meet you at your room as soon as I can."_

She sighed and stuck the note in her purse. This wait was going to drive her insane.

She made it to her hotel room and decided to go ahead and get ready for bed. She showered and changed (and brushed her teeth to be safe.) She turned on the TV and watched reality show reruns to distract herself. Hopefully it would make the time pass more quickly.

The shows weren't holding her attention so she decided to try and braid her own hair. She'd never been good at it so the attempt took her a while. She had to redo it at least three times before she was happy with it. She contemplated changing out of her pajamas and into some real clothes, but decided against it. She wanted to be comfortable while she lost her mind waiting for Nate.

She did a few other things to keep herself busy (the People magazine crossword, a Sudoku puzzle she found in the local paper, and a couple of pages of Mad-Libs from the book she stole from Tyler.) Just as she thought she was going to give up and go to bed there was a knock on her door.

She jumped up and ran to the door. She didn't bother looking through the peep hole she just ripped it open and she took in a deep nervous breath when she saw a freshly showered Nate standing in front of her. He was breath takingly handsome. Always had been, but she'd _never_ been able to resist him after a shower. His curls were damp and stuck to his head and he smelled like _soap_. No cologne like he normally wore, just pure clean _Nate_.

"Um, hi," Ella said softly. "H—how are you?"

Nate didn't say anything. He just stared at her. Ella gulped nervously and opened her mouth to say something else, but before she could get a word out Nate swooped down and pressed his lips to hers. Ella made a muffled surprised noise before she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her room. He shut the door behind him with his foot and buried his hands in Ella's long silky hair. He deepened the kiss and they both went tumbling back onto her bed. Her hands slipped up the back of his shirt and Nate groaned at the skin to skin contact. Ella's shirt had ridden up a little and she could now feel Nate's callused hands against her skin as they drifted toward the hem of her t-shirt. She sighed happily against his lips and pulled away to breathe, but Nate wasn't stopping. The second she pulled away he moved his lips to her neck. His tongue grazed her skin and Ella nearly jumped.

"Oh God," She moaned. "Are you trying to kill me?"

Nate chuckled against her skin. He pulled the collar of her t-shirt to the side and placed gentler kisses on her collar bone before he worked his way back up the spot just below Ella's ear. The spot he knew was her weak spot.

"Nate," She said as her breathing quickened. "That is _not_ fair."

"Yeah, well, it's your fault for being away so long," He whispered with an audible smirk. "You did this to yourself."

She laughed and dug her hands into his curls. "This reaction is a lot more enthusiastic than I expected."

"What _did_ you expect?" Nate asked as he pulled away to look her in the eyes.

"Well, I expected a lot more talking and a little less kissing. Not that I'm objecting to it. Believe me, I'm more than satisfied with the make out," Ella said with a grin. "I expected that you want to hear me say…well, _you know_."

He smiled knowingly at her. "Say what exactly?"

Ella giggled and blushed. "You want me to say it now, don't you?"

"That would be nice, yes."

Her face stayed pink and her smile turned hesitant and shy. It was almost like she was scared of rejection even though they both knew _he_ was the one who'd said it first. "I love you, Nate."

He let out a long sigh and felt a huge weight lift off of his shoulders. Ella could actually _feel_ some of the tension leave his body. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you say that. God, I love you too, Ella. So much."

"And I'm sorry I ran. I shouldn't have done that. I was just…scared," Ella admitted as she gently caressed his face. "But I'm not anymore. You proved me wrong. Everything I've ever thought about love was wrong, and _you_ showed me that. You saved me."

He turned his head slightly and kissed the palm of her hand as it caressed him. "You saved me too, you know? Until you I was pretty much convinced that I was meant to be alone for the rest of my life. I was prepared to scare off anyone who tried to change my mind. But you…well I couldn't scare you away because you didn't want anything to do with me in the first place. It drew me in."

"So, what do we do now?" Ella asked with a contented sigh.

"Well, we could always decide to live happily ever after. How does that sound?" Nate asked with a smirk.

Ella laughed softly and nodded. "I think that sounds _perfect_."


	38. Epilogue

**A/N: **the two songs in this chapter are "Go Figure" by Everlife and "Give Your Heart a Break" by Demi Lovato.

Enjoy!

angellwings

Go Figure

By angellwings

* * *

Epilogue

* * *

"_Just when you learned the game of life  
All the rules change overnight  
Whoa, whoa go figure_

_It seems so wrong to even try_  
_But taking a chance never felt so right_  
_Whoa, whoa go figure_

_You have a dream_  
_You wanna be_  
_The center of the story_  
_Just when you think it's gone_  
_You find a way to keep it going on_

_Sometimes you fall before you fly_  
_Sometimes you laugh when you should cry_  
_Go figure_  
_When things got messed up_  
_You wanted to give up_  
_Nothing seemed right but it turned out fine_  
_Go figure, go figure_  
_Whoa, whoa."_

Nate smiled as he watched Ella record her vocals. Ella Pador & The Times were now in the studio recording their debut album. Stephens had sent them to the studio as soon as Connect Three and Headline's tour wrapped. The last few weeks of the tour were exciting for the band. Vibe released "Falling Down" as the band's first single and it climbed the charts rapidly. It seemed every day it was at a new position. Last anyone had checked it was holding steady at number two.

Today they were finishing up 'Go Figure' which was a song Ella had written after she and Nate had gotten back together. Nate nodded along to the beat and smiled proudly as they finished the take. Caitlyn gave Ella a thumbs up and pressed the button to talk to Ella from the control room.

"I think we got it, El," Caitlyn said. "Do you wanna move on to the next one or call it a day?"

Ella glanced over to Nate and he pointed to his watch. They had reservations in a little over an hour. She smiled and nodded before leaning into the microphone. "Call it a day. We'll start on 'Fix a Heart' tomorrow."

"Alright. Sounds good. Oh, and I told the others that publishing needs everyone's album thank yous by Friday," Caitlyn told her.

Ella nodded. "I'll have them done."

"Perfect, come on out while we shut things down," Caitlyn said as she turned off her own microphone.

Ella put the headphones back on the music stand and left the booth. She made a beeline for Nate and placed a lingering kiss on his lips. She pulled away and beamed at him. "You're early."

"I wanted to see how you were doing," Nate said with a smile as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You sounded great."

"Thank you," Ella said happily. "You ready to go?"

Caitlyn walked up just then as the technicians were leaving. "Studio's all yours, Nate. You've got our left over hour. Any extra and you're repaying the label for it."

He rolled his eyes and nodded. "Gee, thanks, Cait."

"You're welcome. You two kids have fun tonight," She said as she turned to face Ella. "Don't let him keep you here all night. You two stay in _far_ too much."

Ella gave Caitlyn a lop-sided grin. "Thank you, but I _like_ staying in. It's much more intimate that way. We don't have to worry about over doing the PDA."

"You can _never_ over do the PDA," Caitlyn said with a grin.

Nate grimaced at the reminders of Caitlyn and Jason's past PDAs. "We're well aware of the attitude you and Jason have about PDA, Caitlyn. Thank you."

"Prudes," Caitlyn said teasingly as she headed toward the door. "Goodnight, kiddos."

The door closed behind her and Ella gave Nate a questioning look. "What did she mean 'studio's all yours'?"

"I wanted to play you something," Nate said as he took her hand and led her back toward the sound booth.

"You wrote me something?" Ella asked.

"Yes, but…I wrote it while we were…"

"Separated?" Ella finished for him.

He nodded. "Separated. Thank you."

"I don't like to say broken up either," Ella told him with a soft smile. "So, does this mean I'm getting serenaded tonight?"

"Actually, I was hoping you'd sing it. I wrote it _for_ you, but…I also wrote it for you to sing. I kept hearing your voice singing it while I wrote it."

Ella smiled brightly at him and kissed his cheek. "You are far too sweet."

Nate blushed and motioned for Ella to sit on the piano bench while he searched for his music. "I'm glad you think so. At the time I thought I was being sad and pathetic, but I'll gladly take sweet."

Ella chuckled. "Nate, you wrote one song. I wrote like _half an album_. No judgments here."

Nate sat down next to her and spread out the music. "There's a three measure intro. Do you think you can sight read it?"

Ella nodded. "Not a problem. Just play, I'll keep up."

Nate played the intro and Ella kept her eyes on the music as she waited for her cue. She took a deep breath before she started to sing.

"_The day I first met you__,_

_You told me you'd never fall in love._

_But now that I get you,_

_I know fear is what it really was.__  
__Now here we are, _

_So close__yet so far, _

_Haven't I passed the test?_

_When will you realize__,_

_Baby, I'm not like the rest._

_Don't wanna break your heart__,_

_I wanna give your heart a break._

_I know you're scared it's wrong__,_

_Like you might make a mistake__._

_There's just one life to live__ ,_

_And there's no time to waste, to waste__.  
__So let me give your heart a break__._

_Give your heart a break__ ,_

_Let me give your heart a break__._

_Your heart a break__,  
__Oh, yeah yeah__.  
_

_On Sunday, you went home alone__._

_There were tears in your eyes._

_I called your cell phone, my love,_

_But you did not reply__.  
__The world is ours, if you want it__,_

_We can take it, if you just take my hand__._

_There's no turning back now__._

_Baby, try to understand—"_

Ella stopped singing and placed a hand on top of Nate's as he played. He stopped and looked up at her curiously. She smiled warmly at him. "Nate…"

"Yes?" He asked expectantly.

Ella quickly leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Her arms went around his neck as Nate made a surprised muffled sound. Ella smiled against his lips as his arms went around her waist and he pulled her closer. He deepened the kiss and pulled her into his lap. Ella moved to readjust herself and Nate lost his balance. Ella yelped as they nearly tumbled off the piano bench and closed her eyes in anticipation of hitting the floor, but Nate quickly caught himself and tightened his grip on Ella.

Nate took one look at Ella's tightly closed eyes and immediately began to laugh. Ella slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room.

"We didn't hit the ground."

"No, we didn't," Nate answered as he chuckled.

Ella blushed and laughed. She buried her face in Nate's shoulder and shook her head. "I am such a klutz."

"_I'm_ the one that fell," Nate reminded her.

"Yes, well I'm the one that decided to pounce on you while we were sitting on a piano bench. It was bound to happen," Ella said with a chuckle as she looked back up at him.

"I must say that's the first time I've had someone decide to kiss me _in the middle _of a song," Nate told her with a grin.

"It's not my fault that you're incredibly sweet. I mean, what other choice did you give me, Nathaniel?"

Nate smiled affectionately at her and kissed her slowly. He pulled back from the kiss and then brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"What was that for?" Ella asked as she took a deep contented breath.

"It's not my fault you're incredibly adorable," Nate said with a wink.

"We should go to dinner before I decide to skip food and take you home with me instead," Ella said as she blushed and played with the collar of his shirt.

Nate smirked at her and quirked an eyebrow. "I'd be up for that."

Ella laughed and smacked his arm. "Of course you would. But _you_ haven't eaten in several hours and I have a feeling you'd need a healthy blood sugar level to do what _we'd_ be doing, Mister."

"Fine," Nate said as he checked his watch. "If we leave now we'll make our reservations, we'll eat, and _then_ we'll go back to your place. Deal?"

Ella laughed and nodded. She kissed him one last time and then ran her fingers through his hair to fix it back the way it was. "Deal."

"And, I was thinking," Nate said as he caught her eye. "That this time, maybe, we actually admit to the reporters that follow us that we're on a _date_."

Ella's eyes widened and she smiled brightly. "Really?"

He nodded. "I think we're ready for that."

Ella took a deep breath and nodded in agreement. "We're definitely ready for that."

They stood up and Nate pulled a small plastic bag out of his pocket and handed it to Ella. "For your necklace."

Ella smiled and hopped excitedly as she accepted the bag. She emptied the guitar pick into her hand and then handed it to Nate. "Can you add it on to the chain for me?"

He nodded and motioned for her to turn around. He undid the clasp and slipped the pick onto the necklace he'd given her at the start of their relationship. Before it had only had two or three, but now it was weighted down with them—as were Nate's dog tags.

Ella turned around once Nate secured the clasp again and kissed him quickly. "Thank you."

"Love you, Ells," Nate said as he pressed his forehead to hers.

"Love you too, Nate," Ella said with a satisfied sigh.

As they left the studio and headed toward Nate's car Ella took a moment to think about how different her life was now. In less than half a year her luck completely turned around. She had friends, she had family, she had success, and—most importantly—she had love. She'd never been happier, and she couldn't wait for the rest of her life. With Nate around she had a feeling her happiness would only increase.


End file.
